It's Just Me
by CuriosityKilledTheSquirrel
Summary: When Tucker introduced Danny to Sam, love was the last thing on his mind, but now that he learns of the tragedy of Sam's life, can he grow to love someone who has to care for more than her own life? DxS Rating will go up.
1. Chapter 1

Well, here's my new story. I hope you like it.  I found it in a stack of my old school papers and figured I'd put it on fanfic. The first chapter might be kind of boring, so sorry! But aren't most first chappies? I promise it gets WAY better. I have it all planned out, but I might change a few things. This is rated M for a bit of language and a rape scene later on, but except for that one part, it should be rated T.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

I do own a rather large collection of stuffed lambs! They're so cute!

XD

"Oh, yes! Once again I am the _king!_" Danny exclaimed and jumped up from his seat on the couch. The television was flashing colourful lights and had "GAME OVER" written across the screen. Tucker groaned with exasperation and fell against the chair he had been sitting on the edge of. Danny chuckled at his friend's drama.

"You laugh now, Danny." Tucker said, pointing a finger at the dark haired boy. "One of these days, someone's going to beat you at _Dark Assault_." He leaned forward as Danny took his place on the couch once more.

"Yeah? Like whom?" he challenged, his aquamarine eyes sparkling with mischief. Tucker leaned back against the chair again, his mind scanning a group of candidates.

"Sam Manson." He said confidently. "The new girl from New York?" Blank stare from Danny. "In our history class?" Danny just looked at his African-American friend, his eyebrows furrowed into one messy line. Tucker sighed and rolled his turquoise eyes. "Do you want me to set up a date so you can meet her?" Danny nodded and restarted their game while Tucker pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam's number.

Danny watched his friend impatiently as he reasoned with someone on the other side. "Yeah…uh-huh…His name's Danny…No! He's not superficial like that…okay, bye." He twiddled with a loose string on his red and blue shirt as he spoke. Finally, he looked up at Danny. "She'll be in Nasty Burger at six, wearing a purple flower in her hair." He closed his phone with a triumphant smile.

"Cool." He said with a smile. "Now, ready to get your butt beat again?" Tucker looked at his watch and shook his head.

"Sorry, dude." He stood up. "I've got a date with _Clara_." He announced, and ran his hands in a curvy motion, symbolizing a woman. Danny laughed out loud.

"Tuck, Clara is Dr. Phelps, your optometrist."

Tucker shrugged and pointed a finger at Danny. "My _hot_ optometrist."

Danny returned the gesture. "Your hot _married_ optometrist." Tucker stuck his tongue out at his friend and left, shutting the door with a muffled comment that Danny couldn't make out. He sighed and stood, beginning to climb the stairs, but was interrupted when the door slammed open and Tucker came running up to Danny.

"Hey, dude?" he asked his dark haired friend. Danny only looked at him in return. "Promise me you won't judge Sam as soon as you see her. Let her explain." The teen nodded, but with a furrowed brow. Tucker nodded as well, either from Thank-you or Good-bye, and ran back out the door. Danny shook his head and continued up the stairs.

"I wonder what she'll look like…" Danny said to no one in particular as he clambered into his room and opened the closet, random articles of clothing and comic books falling as he did so. "Sam Manson. You know, now that I think about it that name does sound familiar." He pulled a checkered green shirt off a hanger and looked it over before tossing it on his bed. "Aren't the Manson's rich or something?" Another shirt flew to the bed. "Yeah, they made those cocktail toothpicks! Mom keeps those in the lab to label stuff." His parents, crazed ghost-hunters, had their lab covered in ectoplasmic goo from different ghosts and other paranormal things

He finally decided on a light blue shirt and with it, replaced his normal red and white one. "She must be gorgeous." He daydreamed as he stepped over a pile of dirty clothes to reach the bathroom. "She probably has pretty blonde hair… sparkling green eyes… and a really good body." He imagined a fantasy girl with cascading curls and a smile that could kill. Danny grinned as he briefly ran a brush through his messy black hair. Then, he shoved a toothbrush in his mouth and ran through the girls in his history class. "Meghan, Carla, Paulina, Star…" Foamy toothpaste threatened to spill from his lips as he listed the females. There were names, but he couldn't picture all of them.

A sudden ring of bright light divided the boy in half and separated as he transformed into Danny Phantom. His green eyes stared back at him, the mirror reflecting his relaxed face and snowy white hair. Nodding at the Danny on the wall, he phased through the ceiling and into the clear blue sky, a light breeze tickling his cheeks. Nasty Burger, hopefully, wasn't too far away, several miles at most. Danny smiled at the horizon and shot off towards it, experiencing the joy of having nothing but air to surround him and nothing to suspend him to the ground.

That joy slowly dissipated as the fast food restaurant came into view among the miniature looking buildings below him. With a sigh, Danny turned intangible and lowered himself into the parking lot. He phased through the door and quickly looked around, searching women's heads for a purple flower.

Behind him, the door swung open and a petite girl walked in, a red notebook clutched under her arm. She was garbed in dark jeans and a purple tank-top that sat over a swollen abdomen. Her dark hair was pulled back and her lilac eyes scanned the room before beginning to walk over to a table. At another table, a Latino girl stood up and walked past the girl, pushing her with her shoulder. The lilac-eyed girl shrieked and began to fall to the floor. Danny noticed and began to step forward, but a kind stranger had already stopped her fall and helped her up.

"What the heck, Paulina?" The girl shouted, infuriated. The Latino girl sneered.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know I was about to bump into a pregnant slut." Paulina said, faking sympathy and sincerity. Her friends snickered evilly and gossiped among themselves.

The girl muttered something under her breath before turning around to walk over to her chosen table. That's when Danny saw it: a small sprig of violet irises tucked into the girl's messy bun. His jaw dropped slightly. _She_ was the girl Tucker had set him up with? But she was pregnant! He angrily phased out of the building and took flight, returning from his intangibility.

Mere moments after he was in his room, he pulled his cell phone off of his bed and rapidly dialed Tucker's number. After two rings, he picked up with a happy "Hey! Have you met Sam yet?"

"I can't believe you set me up with _her_!" Danny exclaimed angrily. He made a large gesture with his arm to emphasize his rage. "She's pregnant!"

"I know." Tucker's voice lowered. "Danny, where are you?"

"I'm at my house, wondering why you set me up with a-"

"_Don't even say it_, Danny. You call her a slut or a whore once and twelve years of friendship will be thrown out the window!" The harshness in his voice scared Danny. He didn't think Tucker had ever been this angry at him before. Sure he was mad when Danny missed his fifteenth birthday party because he had to capture a ghost, but that was calm compared to the fury in his voice now. "And I can't believe you stood her up! I guess promises mean nothing to you." Tucker continued on the other side.

"What promise?" Danny, clueless as ever, retaliated.

"The one you made before I left. The one about not judging her and letting her explain." Tucker was answered with silence. "She was raped, Danny." He near whispered, the tone in his voice now soft. "That's why she moved here. She had to get away from the guy who did it."

"Who did it?"

"Her boyfriend I think. You'd have to ask her after you get to know her."

Danny quickly looked at the watch on his wrist. "Tuck I've got to go. I've got just enough time to make it back to Nasty Burger before six." He stood from his bed and changed into his counterpart.

"Good for you, Danny." Tucker said and hung up. Danny nodded and threw the phone on the bed before becoming airborne once more.

XD

Gah! The boringness! Oh well. I promise you it will get better, even if I have to have my brother tie me to the computer until it does! He shall bring me soda and cake and a puppy named Maxwell…. That doesn't actually sound to bad… Anyways, your reviews will make me make it better then update, so even if you didn't like it, tell me and I'll try to improve it to the best of my ability! Happy reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Thankies so much for reviewing my storeh. Here's chappie deux.

XD

"He drugged me." She said and took a bite of her ice-cream.

"Huh?" Danny's head shot up to meet her eyes.

"Come on, Danny. You've been staring at my stomach for an hour." Sam turned her head at a cocked position and looked at him like a small child who had done something wrong. Danny blushed and looked down at his lap. They were now at the park, sitting on a bench while people looked at them either disgusted or with a 'isn't that cute' smile. One elderly couple looked at them and told them to stay faithful and everything would be okay. Danny and Sam laughed at that.

"Sorry." He mumbled. She sighed and shook her head.

"It's okay. I've gotten used to it." She took another bite of her chocolate ice-cream and looked at him. His blue eyes bore into her like a drill and his messy hair covered his forehead. There was an air about him that made him seem more mature than seventeen. "It was horrible. I'm always afraid to go to sleep at night because it finds its way into my dreams." Danny looked to her eyes. They were covered with a fair amount of concealer, but he could tell dark rings surrounded them.

"He was my boyfriend." She began again. "We were at my house alone watching a horror movie marathon. He asked me if he could refill my drink. The next thing I knew, I…" Her voice faded and she looked away, her eyes shining with a certain hollowness.

"I'm sorry, Sam." She looked back in his eyes. The normal pity she saw wasn't there. It was replaced with empathy. For her, there always was a thin line between the two. She reached for a piece of hair that had fallen out of her bun, but Danny got there first and tucked it behind her ear. She flinched at his touch.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

Sam shook her head and pushed the voice to the back of her mind, the voice that had haunted her for months now. "So do you know what it's gonna be?" He said, motioning towards her stomach.

She shook her head. "No. I'm actually supposed to go to the doctor to find out on Thursday." She quickly finished her ice-cream cone and stood up. "Ready to go?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah." Danny stood as well and took her hand. It was strange, her hand fit better in his than any of his previous girlfriends, not that there had been many. A sudden gust of wind blew her hair out of its bondage. Her black hair fluttered and fanned around her face, throwing the sprig of irises to the sky. She turned around and placed a hand to the back of her head, noticing the absence of her ponytail holder. The sun was hitting her at such an angle, she almost seemed to glow. He smiled at her. She turned back around, saw him, and blushed.

"What?" she wined and looked away. Danny laughed and shook his head.

"You're beautiful, Sam." He shook her hand in his.

She scoffed. "Yep. And look where it got me." She glanced over to a swing set where a mother was playing with her toddler daughter. "I'm a seventeen year old pregnant woman who didn't get to choose who the father of her child would be, my parents don't want anything to do with said child, and if it weren't for their reputation, I'd have to confront said father." She spat the last part with anger.

"Why didn't you ever get an abortion?" He asked and winced at his stupid question.

Sam sighed. "Well, I'm an ultra-recyclo-vegetarian. I don't eat meat or products forced to be made by them, so it'd be kind of hypocritical." Danny reached up and wiped a smear of chocolate ice-cream off her cheek with his thumb and showed her the chocolaty evidence. She blushed guiltily. "Er… I try." He quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned. "The kid needs protein!" she protested defensively. His grin melted into a warm smile.

"How much protein?" She looked down at the sidewalk and mumbled something incoherently. "What was that?" He cupped his hand around his ear.

"Eggs and dairy products." She stuck out her tongue at him and eventually broke into a giggle. "It was hard at first, but the kid was going to kill me if I didn't." She smiled and looked into Danny's gaze contently as they walked along the park's sidewalk. "I love 'em to death." She placed a hand softly on her stomach. "I just don't like how they came along."

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

Sam tensed and immediately let go of Danny's hand. He looked down at her questionably and a bit hurt. "Sorry. I was just thinking of…" her voice faded again and she clasped Danny's hand once more. A surge of calm flowed into her as his warm skin touched hers.

"You know, Tuck and I are going to Nasty Burger later tonight. Do you think you could sneak out?"

She grinned. "I could do that, _or_ I could just stay out." She squeezed his hand softly and listened to the sounds of the park.

XD

The doctor ran the tool over Sam's stomach, staring stone-faced at the screen. Sam looked at him anxiously. "Can you see it?" she finally burst. The man in his late-fifties nodded slowly, but kept his eyes on the ultrasound.

"You're going to have a son, Miss Manson." Sam's eyes lit up with joy. "But there might be… a problem." Her face fell.

"What problem?" The doctor was quiet again as he pressed a set of headphones to his ear.

"There are certain body parts that form and grow during the pregnancy. Right now, the fetus' heart is developed, but it's very weak for this stage in the pregnancy." He spoke extremely slowly and Sam felt like strangling it out of him.

"So you're saying there's a possibility that there could be issues with his heart?" She furrowed her eyebrows and looked to the screen. The doctor nodded and handed her the headphones. She took them from his grasp and slipped them over her ears. A faint thumping echoed through her ears. Her eyes glazed over with tears as she handed the headphones back to the doctor.

"I think you may need to go up to Charleston to be checked up on. It could mean trouble for the both of you." Sam pondered for a moment.

"But isn't that like a day's ride away?" He nodded once more.

"Um, Dr. Shields, could we finish up for today?" He sighed and nodded

"Sure. Just go to the front desk. Sharon will give you your pictures and set up an appointment in Charleston." He wiped off her stomach with a cream coloured towel and began to shut down the ultrasound. Sam nodded, grabbed her purse from its seat in a chair by the door, and walked out to the front desk.

A woman with blonde hair and dark brown roots looked up with a smile. "Are you Samantha Manson?" Her voice was one of those perky, squeaky ones, but it was also warm and comforting.

"Sam, please." She ran a hand through her raven hair and sighed as a headache began to creep up the back of her neck. The nurse nodded and looked down at her computer, her fingers moving across the keyboard skillfully. That clattering was pretty much the only noise in the waiting room as Sam pulled out her keys, the metal cold beneath her fingers.

"Your appointment is January sixth." She finally said, looking up and giving Sam a stack of papers and a manila folder. "I hope you two are okay." Sam nodded and left, walking over towards her black Mercury Milan. She quickly opened the door and climbed in, throwing the things to the passenger's seat carelessly.

Then she crashed. She crumpled over the steering wheel and sobbed uncontrollably. Every time she would try to take a large breath, it would turn into a coughing fit, causing her to cry more. Everything seemed broken: her family, her heart, her life.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

Her cell phone's shrill scream made Sam jump. She pulled it out of her messenger bag and flipped it open. "Hello?" Her voice was soft and teary.

"Sammykins, do you think you could you pick up some milk on your way home?" Her mother's cheery voice rang through the silent car.

"Sure, mother. I'm on my way now." She fumbled with her keys as she pushed them into the ignition and started the car.

"See you soon!" her mother said so perky it made Sam sick.

"You too." She closed her phone with a quick snap. Sam brushed the tears away from her face as she released the clutch and backed out of her parking spot.

XD

_Gothgirl- Hola dudes!_

_Ghostboy- Hey! How'd it go?_

_Gothgirl- Eh. It's a boy._

_Ghostboy- Why's that an 'Eh'?_

_Gothgirl- He might have a heart condition._

_Ghostboy- ouch_

_Friartuck- 'sup guys_

_Gothgirl- what do you guys think of 'Jeremiah'?_

_Ghostboy- Nah_

_Friartuck- he'd get beat up at the park_

_Gothgirl- What about 'Marcus'?_

_Friartuck- I had a bully named Marcus in the third grade. I'd be afraid of your son._

_Ghostboy- What about 'Danny'?_

_Ghostboy- jk!_

_Gothgirl- no, I like that idea!_

_Ghostboy- really!_

_Friartuck- really!_

_Gothgirl- no_

_Friartuck- …man_

_Ghostboy- Dang it!_

_Gothgirl- I have to go to Charleston in a couple months._

_Ghostboy- I thought your parents didn't want anything to do with him._

_Gothgirl- they don't. I'm goin alone._

_Friartuck- But it's a day's drive!_

_Gothgirl- yup_

_Ghostboy- You really shouldn't go alone_

_Gothgirl- I really don't have a choice_

_Ghostboy- what if I go?_

Gothgirl signed off at 11:34

_Friartuck- brilliant._

_Ghostboy- What'd I do?_

_Friartuck- You just asked if you could sleep in the same room as a girl who was raped_

_Ghostboy- I'm an idiot_

_Friartuck- yup. XP_

XD

No offense to anyone named Jeremiah or Marcus. Those are the names of two of my friends, and I was just picking at them. I have nothing against those names. I had an entirely different approach I was going to use with the IM conversation, but I finished this at… really late so I decided not to. REVIEW! (Flashes sad puppy dog eyes of doom)


	3. Chapter 3

I'm glad you guys like this story. I have friends who've read it, and they say it's good, but I like it better when you guys say it.

XD

"I'll get it!" Sam called to her family upstairs. She jumped off the couch and walked to the door, pulling it open with a bright smile. "Danny?" Her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?" He smiled feebly and shrugged. Sam blushed at her wardrobe: pajama bottoms, oversized t-shirt, and a bowl of popcorn sitting between her hip and arm.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said last night." He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. "That must've been pretty awkward, huh?"

She nodded quietly and opened the door wider. "Do you want to come in?" He smiled and stepped inside the warm house, thankful for the relief of the bitter December air.

"Sure, but Tucker wanted me to get you to come with him for a 'surprise'." He smiled at her confused face.

"Okay, I just need to get dressed." She started up the stairs. "Come on!" Danny turned a light shade of pink and followed her up the steps. Sam began to open the door to her bedroom, but was interrupted by her mother.

"Sammykins, I don't know if I want…. What's your name?" she looked at Danny with a blank expression on her face.

"It's Danny, mother, and what's he going to do to me?" The red haired woman blushed and turned back into her room. Sam opened her door and stepped into the dark room. "Just a second." She flipped a light on and walked over to a set of drawers. Danny sat on her bed as she rifled through her clothes. Her computer sat on a desk at the other side of the room. He stood up and walked over to it. A document was open on the screen. Danny scrolled up to the top.

_It's Just Me_ was written at the top in large letters. It was a weird title. He was into the first paragraph when he heard Sam's shrill protest. "Don't read that!" She nudged him away from the desk and quickly closed the file.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I didn't know it was private." He stepped back. She had changed into jeans and had a black off-the-shoulder sweater halfway pulled on.

"Well it is." She snapped and finished fixing the sweater. She sighed apologetically. "It's okay. Let's just go." She pulled Danny out of the room and down the stairs. "I'm leaving!" she shouted and opened the door. Danny escorted her out of the house and into the passenger's seat of his car. "To Tucker's house!" She smiled.

Yep. Sam _definitely _had mood swings.

XD

"Tucker! Where are you taking us?" Sam whined from the backseat. Tucker shook his head and laughed. Sam reached up and hit him on the arm playfully.

"Hey! Don't distract the driver." He joked from the front seat. "You'll know where we are when we get there." He looked to Danny in the passenger's seat. "At least _you _will, Danny." The three were gathered in Tucker's truck, on the road to Tucker's secret location.

"Hey! Isn't this Paulina's house?" Danny questioned as they pulled onto a dirt road leading to a large house. Tucker nodded and parked in the driveway, which was packed. He got out, fixing his beret as he did. Danny escaped as well and helped Sam out.

"Party at Paulina's house!" Tucker yelled and ran inside. Danny and Sam laughed and followed him less enthusiastically. The house was already destroyed: lights flickering, music blasting, and random kids making out all over the place. Danny looked at Sam, who glanced around the house, a blank expression masking her features.

"Do you want to dance?" he nearly shouted over the noise. She looked at him for a moment then smiled with a quick nod. He grasped her hand and led her to the center of the living room, which was hot and stuffy from the numerous teens and their raging hormones. He started to move his arms in a goofy manner, bouncing back and forth on his feet. Sam laughed and began to move her own body to the beat.

Danny watched her intently. Her dancing wasn't silly and strange like his was, but music in of itself. Her hips swayed back and forth and her arms never seemed to stay still. One moment, they were above her head in some twirling motion and the next, they were at her sides, batting to the melody. He smiled at her as she bounced on her knees for a little bit. She sang along with the rap song playing as her head rocked from side to side.

When a slower song came on, Danny jerked a thumb towards the punch. "I'm gonna go get some punch. Do you want me to get you some?"

Her eyes widened. "No!" She shouted, probably quicker than she should have. "I- I'm not thirsty." He gave her a confused look, but nodded. As he walked away, the flickering lights cut off. Over the triumphant shouts of the guys and the fearful shrieks of the girls, Sam screamed for Danny. She suddenly felt two hands on her waist.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

"Danny?" she squeaked. The owner of the hands leaned down and put his lips to her ear.

"Mothers shouldn't dance so naughty." He smelled of beer and body odor. She opened her mouth to scream for Danny again, but was interrupted by a hand being pressed to her mouth. "Don't say a word." He hissed. At her stillness, he took his calloused hand away. Despite the darkness, another song came blasting through the room. "Dance, and when the lights come on, act normal."

Sam glared at the darkness, but began to move her hips like she had done before, receiving a short laugh from the figure behind her. She felt a body being pressed against her. "If I were allowed to lift heavy things, I'd of flipped you by now." The lights flickered back to normal, and Sam caught a glimpse of a thick forearm with golden hair sprinkling the flesh. The figure's hand grabbed her wrist and began to pull her up a flight of nearby stairs.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

"Danny!" She screamed, but the dark haired boy was no where in sight. Sam looked up at her attacker, whom she quickly identified as Dash, a thickheaded football player in her third period. He pulled her into a room decorated in pink and locked the door. She shrieked and struggled to get away as Dash ripped the collar of her shirt, revealing a black bra. He smiled maliciously and moved to kiss her neck, but was met with a ferocious slap.

He stumbled backwards and glared at the lilac-eyed girl. "Bitch." He muttered and pushed her on the ground so she landed on her back. Dash climbed on top of Sam and straddled her legs. He kissed her neck hungrily and ripped the rest of her sweater so it was divided down the middle.

"_Get off of her._" An angry voice cut through the room. Sam looked up to see Danny glaring down at Dash with deadly green eyes. Strange, she had always thought his eyes were blue. She almost could've sworn it. Dash sat up and looked at him, pain shooting through Sam's leg as he did. She winced and Danny's glowing green eyes saw. "I said… get off. You're hurting her."

He let out a short laugh and looked down at me. "She doesn't care, do you Sammy?" His voice slurred as he spoke.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

Sam glared at him. She would not be treated like this again. "Get off me, you bastard." His smile immediately turned into a scowl. He brought his hand up and slapped her. That sent Danny over the edge. He lunged at Dash, pushing him off of Sam. She crawled away as the smaller boy threw punch after punch at the quarterback.

Then the power turned as Dash rolled on top of Danny and pounded his body with powerful hits. Sam turned so that she couldn't see the violent abuse that matched Danny's pained grunts and shouts. She didn't know how long it went on for, but when the noises stopped, Sam turned back around.

Dash was gone, and Danny was sprawled out on the ground. Sam gasped and crawled towards him. "Danny!" she said softly and cradled an unscathed cheek with the palm of her hand. He looked up at her with a gentle smile.

"Is the kid okay?" Sam nodded and smiled, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. His voice was raspy, but it still held the warm comfort that she longed for. "Good. Are you?"

"I will be." She whispered and helped him sit up. "Thank you." He nodded, and with her help, stood. They made their way down the stairs and quickly grabbed Tucker. They looked like an odd pair: Sam with her shirt ripped open and Danny, battered and bruised. Tucker didn't question them, though Danny was sure he would once Sam had been dropped off.

On the way back, Danny sat in the backseat with Sam, cradling her in his arms gently. When they had reached her house, Danny looked down at her, leaning on his chest. She was asleep, breathing softly into the fabric of his shirt. He quietly turned into his Phantom self and cradled her bridal style. "See you later Tuck. I'll fly home." The teen nodded and Danny went intangible and flew into the house and up to Sam's room.

He laid her on the bed in the center of the room. He was tempted to leave her as she was, but didn't think her parents would be too happy when they found her in the morning with her shirt like it was. Danny sighed and looked around the room, spotting the oversized t-shirt from earlier crumpled on her bedroom floor. He walked over to it and picked it up, making sure to turn it right-side-in.

Sam's eyes fluttered open as Danny struggled to get her sweater off without waking her. Tears pooled in her eyes and rolled down her temples. "Not again." She whispered, her voice breaking. Danny suddenly realized how bad this must've seemed to her: A teenage ghost with white hair trying to get her shirt off.

He blushed. "No, no, no." he coaxed softly. "I'm just trying to change your shirt so your parents won't freak out when they see you with your shirt ripped." Her features calmed a little, but were still wary. He showed her the t-shirt in his hands to back up his story. What surprised him most was that she didn't question who he was or why he was there. She simply took the shirt from his hands and pulled it on.

She kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thanks." she whispered and laid back down. "Now you better leave before my parents come up here to tell me good night. You'd probably rather not face them tonight." She curled up with a pillow and closed her eyes, but Danny could tell she was waiting anxiously for him to leave. He whispered a good night and turned intangible, smiling at the girl before floating into the dark night sky.

XD

Awww, fluffiness. Yet they still aren't together! Idiots! …wait…_I'm_ writing this. Heh heh heh… Please review! I'll give you a cookie!


	4. Chapter 4

Bleh, I have no energy, and my creative/inspiration meter has been on empty since a little disaster in my love life, but now I am single and loving every minute of it! (Though my meter's still pretty low) Oh well, so much for my love life. Let's get on with our favorite halfa's!

XD

"Thanks, Danny. I'll see you later." Sam said as she stepped out of Danny's truck, pulling her sweater closer to her body. Once he had said his good-byes as well, Danny drove off towards his own house. Sam sighed as she watched his taillights glimmer into nothing while they faded into the dark night. Shoving her hands in the pockets of her sweater, she headed into the large and empty house.

She approached the door of her room and yawned, pushing it open and flipping on the lights. Spotting the computer in one of the far corners of the room, she smiled softly and shuffled over to it. She furrowed her eyebrows though, when she realized she had an email from an unknown address.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

"What the heck?" she mumbled as she drug her mouse over to the small flashing envelope in the corner of the screen. Once she had clicked on it, a short message popped up on the screen.

**Kitten,**

**I'll be in town soon. Your friends told me you moved there so I thought I'd come see how things were. See you later.**

**-Batman**

Sam clamped a hand against her mouth to keep from screaming. How had he found her? She'd only told one friend where she was going, and they didn't even know why she had gone. _Which means he doesn't either._ Reality hit her fast and hard. It knocked the breath out of her so she couldn't even speak.

With a shaking hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers wavered over the tiny buttons before she began pressing them in the familiar order of Danny's phone number.

After a few rings, Danny's voice echoed through the small phone, "Yo!"

Sam sighed with relief. "Danny, it's me."

"Sam?"

"Yeah, I was wondering…" she hesitated, standing up to let the blinds on her window down. "Is your offer to go to Charleston next week still good?" She bit her lip and listened carefully as Danny assured her it was. "Will you?"

"Sure, Sam, but why the sudden change of mind?"

"Er- nothing really important; I just thought it'd be nice to have some company… and Tucker has to go to that thing while we'd be gone." _And I feel safe around you._ Sam held her breath before she asked her next question and seriously hoped Tucker would have something to do during those few days.

"If you want company, I'm your man."

Sam let a short and nervous laugh escape her lips. "Yeah, well… can you come over?" She picked her notebook up off the bed and carried it to her computer desk, dropping into the seat as the silence grew painfully long.

"Why?" he finally answered, daring to ask the one question that never seemed to be answered. "I mean, I will, but why? I just dropped you off."

Sam silently panicked as she searched her mind for a suitable excuse. "I, um, wanted to study for Mr. Lancer's test for tomorrow, and I'm never good at studying alone." That much was true; she was hopeless when she tried to study by herself. She'd always find something to distract her like a book that she had yet to read or clothes that needed to be folded.

"Alright, I'll bring my literature book." He said slowly. If he noticed any hesitation in her voice, he didn't say anything about it. With a rush of relief, Sam thanked him and hung up. She sighed and looked back to the computer deleting the email and opening a document. Opening the notebook by her hand, she began transferring what she had written in the notebook onto the document, already several pages long:

**January 3rd, Week 19**

**I'm really starting to worry about how much trust I put in people. When I awoke this morning, Tucker and Danny were at the foot of my bed playing war. What bothered me most was that I didn't really mind. A few months ago, I would've sued for breaking and entering and not let the judge live unless they were sentenced with _at least_ five years in prison. Now, though, it was like it was normal and they were just my guardian angels watching over me while I slept.**

**It wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't felt the same way about _him_. I put the same kind of trust in him as I did in Danny and Tucker, but he betrayed it and ruined my life. I'm starting to worry about putting faith in people who might waste it like he did. Sure, they seem nice, but so did he! It's driving me crazy how I feel like I'm walking on glass with everyone I meet.**

**After about a few minutes of pretending I was sleeping, I came to a freaky realization: all I was doing was staring at Danny's eyes. They're so strange, though. On the night of Paulina's party, when Danny found Dash and I upstairs, I was positive his eyes were a vivid green. This morning, however, they were a brilliant blue, as blue as the sea itself. I'm not sure if I'm just going out of my mind or if they really change between those to colors.**

**After Danny and Tucker surprised me with a trip to a local zoo, Danny dropped me off at my house. When I looked at my computer screen, there was an email alert beeping in the top, right-hand corner of my screen. As soon as I opened it, my heart stopped. It was from **

"Hey, Sam." Danny chirped, tossing a thick book onto the gothic girl's large bed, watching as it bounced happily and sunk into the dark violet comforter.

Sam jumped and quickly closed the document, spinning around in her chair. "Danny, don't scare me like that!" she exclaimed. "You're going to give me a heart attack.

He gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry, I didn't know you hadn't heard me come in." Sam sighed and stood, walking over to her book bag, leaning against the door, and pulled out a stack of English notes.

They studied for hours, quizzing each other over meanings of poems and matching the Poet to their poem. Before long, Sam began drifting into sleep, only to be awoken by Danny asking her a question about a few lines of Shakespeare

"Okay, so in this part, where Hamlet says 'I could interpret between you and your love, if I could see the puppets dallying.', he means what?" he asked, looking up from his book to Sam's closed eyes. "Sam!"

"Did I ever tell you about the ghost I met?" She asked suddenly.

Danny furrowed his eyebrows. "No, when'd you meet a ghost?"

She yawned. "The night of Paulina's party." Danny smiled at her as he realized what she was talking about. "I was lying in my bed, and he tried to change my shirt." She laughed softly. "I woke up and thought he was trying to molest me."

Danny laughed as well at the memory. "I don't know if I like strange ghosts changing your shirt." He teased.

"He was really cool, though. He had white hair and green eyes." She commented, curling up to rest her head on Danny's knee. "They almost seemed to glow, like God had put glow-in-the-dark stickers where his eyes were supposed to be."

"Ah, you've met the famous Danny Phantom, Amity Park's guardian-slash-villain." He grinned proudly, stretching out on her bed and moving her head to a fluffy pillow, receiving a disapproving mumble from Sam.

"Guardian-slash-villain?" she questioned, furrowing her eyebrows though her tired eyes were closed.

"Some people think he's evil and is only trying to destroy the city." He frowned. "Other people, like me, believe he's protecting the city from the _bad_ ghosts in this city."

"There are more?"

"Mmm-hmm." He was silent for a moment. "Was he nice to you?"

"Yeah." She yawned again, wrapping one arm around her abdomen and letting the other fall limp by her face. "He explained himself and everything and left right after I had my shirt on."

"Good. I'd be pretty upset if he wasn't. He's a good guy and all, but he's still a teenager with teenage hormones." He blushed as she snuggled closer and laid her head on his chest. "You know, Sam, you've got to stop using me as a pillow." He continued, smiling. He frowned though when there was no response. "Sam?" After the silence that followed, he sighed exasperatingly. She fell asleep on him _again_!

XD

(grins) I love making her fall asleep on his chest. It's so cute! Oh, and don't ask why on the email, her name is "Kitten" and his "Batman". I just needed to think of nicknames couples would give each other and that's what my friend called her boyfriend before they broke up. (shrugs) Sorry it took so long to get this out, though. I've been so _drained_! I have like…. no energy lately. I haven't been able to update my other stories either, so I'll say "See ya later!" and start finishing up those chappies too.

-Curiosity


	5. Chapter 5

Yay! Update! Ummm… I don't really have anything to say… for once. Creepy.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

XD

"Oh, hello, Danny." Sam's mother chirped, a strained smile on her face. Danny nodded a hello and stepped inside and began climbing the stairs. "Oh, wait! Could you do me a favor and tell Sam her bastard's crib is here?"

Danny glared at her. "I'll take it myself." He began back down the stairs and picked up a large, flat box that was leaning next to the door. He thought he saw her mother roll her eyes and despite himself, he stuck his tongue out at her childishly. She wrinkled her nose at him and left, and Danny continued to climb the stairs.

As he approached Sam's room, he noticed an open door down the hall. He tilted his head curiously and sauntered over. It was a completely empty room with soft blue walls and green carpet. He quickly realized it would be the baby's room once he spotted a plastic bag of wallpaper with a design for an infant. With a nod towards no one in particular, he leaned the large box against the wall. After a moment of staring at each turn of the walls and detail in the border, he sighed and turned back toward Sam's room.

"Sam?" he said to the door as he knocked gently on it. When there came no reply, he pushed the door open and immediately blushed. Sam was lying on her bed, shirtless and asleep, and curled up against a pillow, one arm wrapped her stomach. A small duffle bag laid at her feet and several items of clothing was scattered around the room. "Um, Sam?" he said louder, walking over to the bed and throwing a blanket over her. "Sam, wake up." He nudged her shoulder gently and knelt by her side.

She stirred and mumbled softly, "Leave me alone…"

Danny laughed softly. "Sam it's time to go. If we don't leave now, we won't make it to Charleston by midnight and we'll lose our room reservation." He insisted, pushing pieces of her dark hair behind her ear. At the word "Charleston", her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up.

She looked down and squealed, noticing her lack of a shirt. "Danny! Turn around!" she half whined, half demanded. Danny smiled and stood, spinning around so he faced the wall. After a moment of several noises, including the creak of her bed, the rustle of her sheets, and strings of mumbled curses, Sam allowed Danny to turn back around.

"Danny, could you get my bag for me?" she asked sweetly, collecting several random items scattered around the room: a book bag, a water bottle, and a worn, red notebook.

"Sure." He smiled, picking up the duffle bag at the foot of the bed and throwing the strap over his shoulder. "You ready to go?"

She picked a pencil up off of the desk and slipped it behind her ear, pushing hair out of her face in the process. "Yep. We better get going, okay?" She smiled and walked out of the room, starting down the stairs.

Danny just shook his head and smiled.

"Bye!" Sam shouted simply as Danny watched her stride out the front door. A twinge of sympathy struck him. Sam didn't have a real family. When her parents weren't pushing pink and flowery dresses on her, they were halfway across the world. Sam could just say "Bye!" and leave for four days. His parents would throw a huge going away party and give him a phone card, insisting he call twice a day.

Sam quickly climbed into the passenger's seat as Danny tossed her duffle into the back. She grinned at him as he climbed into the driver's seat next to her. He looked at her. "What?" She merely shook her head and turned away.

Danny quirked an eyebrow at her, but she said nothing. When she opened up her notebook and pulled the pencil out from behind her ear, Danny sighed and started the car, urging it onto the road in front of them

"So what's in the notebook?" he inquired, fearing the awkward silence between them.

She hesitated at first, but swallowed and said, "When I first figured out what happened between me and…" She choked. "Him, I skipped sixth period every Tuesday to go see a shrink. Her name was Clark and she was really nice. She gave me this weird personality test and from that, she decided what I needed." Sam lifted the notebook slightly. "She told me to write a little about what's going on every day. From that, I kinda fell in love with writing."

"What's up with the title?" It was those same three words: It's Just Me.

She glared at him. "None of your business."

XD

The car, except for the soft rock music playing from the speakers in the back, was completely silent. Sam had fallen asleep against the window, a small pillow tucked behind her back. Danny's eyes had been focused on the road for hours, now, and the familiar spray of diamonds glittered against the curtain of night.

Something, Danny didn't know what, drew his gaze to Sam. Her eyelids twitched rapidly and her breath came in long, soft sighs. The pale rays of the moon and shadows of trees decorated her skin with a different pattern as the vehicle drew forward. Danny, having to look from Sam to the empty road, pulled along the side and parked, turning to Sam. He began struggling with his legs for a moment to pull them up to his chest and turn to face the passenger's side.

He drank in her features like a thirsty man, which he was, in fact: thirsty for love. He'd been clueless on the subject of women as long as he could remember. He must've said something stupid at least twice a day to either Sam, Valerie, or Jazz. Danny had never felt anything as strong as what he felt for Sam, though. He'd had crushes on Paulina and dates with Valerie in ninth grade, but with Sam, he felt like he'd known her forever.

Sam stirred softly and turned against the window so she was facing the driver. Danny sighed and pushed her dark hair out of her face. His eyes floated from her face to her stomach, and his hesitant hand followed.

"You know," he began, stroking the fabric of her shirt with his thumb. "Your mom really loves you. She's riding in a car with _me_ for thirteen hours and she hasn't complained once." He smiled, and after a moment of gazing at Sam's face again, tucked his legs back under the steering wheel and began the car again.

After a few minutes of silence, a soft whisper echoed through the car. "What am I going to do when he asks why his friends have fathers and he doesn't?"

Danny froze. Had he woken her up? He hesitantly turned to look at her. "I…" But he stopped and turned back to the road. He could feel Sam's stare burning in his eyes and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "You tell him…" He swallowed. "There was once a princess named Sam."

From the corners of his eyes, he saw Sam smile and he relaxed a bit. It hurt, though. Sam's smile was soft and sad. "She loved a magician very much, and he thought she was beautiful." His eyes focused intently on the road as he made gestures with his hand to match the story.

"One night," Sam began, almost surprising Danny. "The magician was possessed by an evil witch, and it turned him greedy and mad. He went to the princess's garden, which was filled with a variety of flowers. He placed a spell on her and she couldn't think or move. She fell into a deep sleep, and the magician began to take off her dress and touch her with a burning lust."

She pursed her lips shut, and Danny didn't intend to push her to say anymore, but after a long while in the suffocating quiet, she began again. "The next morning, she awoke in her bed, sore and dizzy. The magician had come to his senses and fled. When the princess told her parents what had happened, they didn't believe her because they knew she had been very much in love with the magician."

Sam pulled her knees to her chest, hiding her face between them. "I'm so stupid!"

And for the second time that night, Danny stopped the car, so he could cry with her.

XD

The bed creaked as Sam turned to lay on her right side. Moments later, she turned again as she tried to lay on her right side. She growled in frustration as she rolled onto her back.

"Sam… Sleep…" Danny moaned from his own bed. "We've got a long day tomorrow."

"I know, Danny. I just can't get comfortable." She turned on her right to face Danny's bed, but his back was facing her. "The kid won't quit squirming." Danny sighed and closed his eyes again, only to be jerked back awake by the noisy creak of Sam's bed.

"Sam!" The noise ceased, but the air was filled with her exasperated sighs. Danny threw his legs over the side of the bed and walked over to Sam's. He climbed in carefully and pulled her body close so her back was to his chest. She flinched, but eventually sank into his touch.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

He stretched his arm over and stroked her stomach with his thumb, like he had hours earlier. Danny could feel faint movements slow and calm beneath the thin fabric of her shirt. Moments later, Sam's breathing slowed as well and her body was limp against his. He rested his chin on the top of her head. She smelled wonderfully, like an exotic flower. An it was to that invigorating scent that Danny fell asleep to.

XD

With the scene in the car, talking about the night sky, it took all my strength not to put an author's note there saying, "Ha! I can sound poetic if I want to!" Anyways, please review! If you do, I'll reply with a really cool sneak peek to the next chapter. (winks to Summers Rage)


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so sorry! The updates should come MUCH faster now that I just finished my other story. Again, sorry!

XD

A knock on the hotel door forced Danny out of his bed with a groan. The sleeping Sam stirred softly when her leg, which had been locked around his, was pushed away, but quieted when she settled into her pillow. Danny smiled at her as he made his way to the door. She had snuck into his bed the night before, insisting that she'd had a nightmare. At two in the morning, he'd had no choice but to scoot over and pull the covers open.

Danny pulled the door open, expecting to see a maid in a blue and white uniform, but a teenage boy stood there instead. He was well built, a dark red shirt covering strong arms. His chocolate brown hair was shaggy and looked disheveled, as if he had just woken up. Danny raised an eyebrow and the boy, who was probably a year or so older, glared.

"Sorry. Wrong door." He said curtly and walked away, leaving Danny to feel stupid as he held the door open wearing nothing but pajama pants.

Danny shook his head and closed the door, walking back over to Sam. Her soft breathing and the sound of the fan shaking above them were the only sounds that pierced the dead quiet of the room. Danny pushed a piece of hr dark hair away from her face. He chewed thoughtfully on the inside of his cheek while he contemplated whether to climb back into his bed or do the gentlemanly thing and lay in Sam's.

After a moment, he shook his head with a sigh and slid between the covers, almost smiling as the warmth that radiated off of her enveloped him. Despite his hour of efforts, sleep refused to claim him again. If it weren't for the resting figure beside him, Danny would've growled loudly with frustration. Finally, he pulled his clothes on and left, leaving a note to Sam that would tell her that he'd gone to get breakfast.

He sighed as soon as the door shut behind him. Smiling slightly at the warm sun, he quickly walked to the parking lot, where his car waited patiently. The handle was hot against his hand as he pulled the door open and sat down.

The first thing that hit him was Sam's notebook in the passenger's seat, open and unattended. He reached for it, drew back, and then reached for it again, taking a hold of it and pulling it into his lap. A pen that had been sitting between the open pages fell to the floorboards with a soft clatter. Danny ignored it and looked to Sam's spidery handwriting. It was the fairy tale that they had made up on the way up, embellished a little, but still basically the same.

He turned to the page before it. It was like a diary, with dates and in first person. Sam spoke about the drive up and Danny putting his hand on her stomach that night. Despite himself, his cheeks stained with pink. That pink quickly grew to red as his eyes skimmed over phrases such as "My heart skipped." and "I hate how I blush more around Danny."

He suddenly slammed the book shut and threw it to the passenger's seat. He was disgusted that he was invading her personally thoughts. He hastily stuck the keys in the ignition and started the car, driving over to a local fast food restaurant. He looked at Sam's notebook once, twice, before grabbing it and taking inside. He quickly ordered their food and opened the worn notebook.

_January 5, Week 21_

_I drove home in silence, except the radio, faint compared to the echo of my suppressed sobs. The words of Dr. Shields spun dizzily around my head. It just felt so surreal: the child I had vowed to protect might not even survive to have his first birthday._

_A tear would slip by every now and then, but I paid them no mind. Crying had become a daily routine for me since I had found out I was pregnant, and even before then. It held no meaning five months later. It was like being thirsty: not something you want to experience, but inevitable nonetheless. _

_With a shaking hand, I reached and turned up the air conditioner. The car seemed particularly cramped, warm, and suffocating now. I adjusted my seatbelt nervously and pulled into my driveway, keeping my eyes fixed on the path in front of me._

Danny jumped when a paper bag was dropped on the table in front of him. He thanked the uniformed woman and engrossed himself in Sam's writing again.

He was halfway through week three when his phone rang in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and pressed it to his ear. "Hey." He said simply.

"Danny!" Sam's panicked voice squeaked on the other side. "Danny, please help me!"

"Sam?" Danny asked cautiously.

"He's here." She sobbed. "He's going to kill me and the baby."

"Who?" He stood, grabbing the notebook and running out of the restaurant. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, he all but threw himself inside.

"Greg." It came out more of a cry than a word, but it was clear.

"Sam, who's Greg?" He fumbled with his keys as he started the car and began pulling out and driving towards the hotel. Suddenly, there was a voice in the background.

"Who're you calling, whore?" it hissed. "Your friend?" Sam sobbed something incoherently and then shrieked before there was a dull 'thud' and the line went dead. Danny tore his eyes from the road to look at the phone I disbelief.

The car's tires squealed as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. He stormed out of the car, up the stairs, and into his room, where the door had been left ajar. "Sam!" The room was empty. "Sam!?" He exclaimed louder.

He thought he heard a faint, sob-strangled version of his name coming from the open bathroom. He leaped over a dresser that had been knocked over and pushed the door open wider, revealing Sam, curled in a ball inside the bathtub. She had various cuts on her face and arms and several bruises were already darkening all over her.

"Sam…" he moaned and stepped over to her. He reached out a hand to touch her, but she squealed a protest and shrank away. "Please, Sam." She looked up at him, her lilac eyes glazed and hollow.

He took a deep breath. "Sam there's something I need to show you." A ring of light suddenly appeared, dividing himself in half then spread, exposing his ghostly counter-part." Sam's eyes barely flickered with interest, but she still said nothing. "Sam. I need to get you to a hospital, but I have to hold you. Will you let me?"

She just stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding. Danny smiled, relieved, and cradled her gently in his arms, careful of her many bruises. He quickly went intangible and phased through the ceiling, into the blue sky where clouds were appearing like a cloak. Sam gasped softly and held tighter to Danny. He smiled at her and shot off towards the hospital.

"He hit me." She whispered to the wind. "My stomach, I mean." Her voice shook with shock and pain.

"Sam, who's Greg?" he asked once more, his eyes scanning the ground for a hospital.

_Shhh, Sam. It's just me._

"He-" she began, but burst into tears. Danny held her closer as she buried her head into his shoulder and sobbed. When she calmed, she whispered into his neck, "He raped me."

Danny sighed. It was what he had expected, but it still came as somewhat of a shock. He lowered them and saw a small hospital. He landed on the ground and transformed back into Danny Fenton, gravity immediately gluing them to the ground.

He quickly ran it, thankful that the room was empty. A nurse with bright red hair wheeled a chair over to them, which Danny reluctantly laid Sam in. She hissed slightly with pain when her stomach, which was comfortable in its curled position, was straightened. A rather young looking man in a blue shirt and khakis walked into the room and approached Sam. "Hi, I'm Dr, Reid, and you are?" he asked with a warm smile.

She pursed her lips in silence, so Danny spoke for her, "Sam Manson, and I'm Danny Fenton." He nodded at the doctor.

"Ah, okay." He scribbled the names on a clipboard that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. "Karen, take Ms. Manson to get an ultrasound. I'll be there in a moment." The red-headed nurse began to push Sam towards a set of doors.

"Danny!" the girl shouted, reaching towards him like a baby that needed to be held.

He knelt by her side. "I've got to stay here and fill out your papers. I'll be with you as soon as I can." He assured her. She nodded slowly, her eyes glazing with tears as the nurse wheeled her away.

He turned back to the doctor, who held out a stack of forms. "So, are you the father?" he smiled as Danny took the papers. "Looks like she really loves you."

Danny shook his head. "I'm not." His aquamarine eyes looked into the doctor's hazel ones. "She was raped."

XD

Wow. That's the fastest I've ever gotten a chappie written… 0.o Anyways, like I said, the updates are going to come _much _quicker now that my other story is done. Sorry for the extremely long wait on this one; I know it bothers you guys when you lose the story line because I don't update.

-Curiosity


	7. Chapter 7

Hola, reading peoples. I have returned once more with a chappie. For those who've been wondering what "Shhh, Sam…" means, you're about to find out. Happy readings!

I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters

XD

Sam quietly fiddled with her hospital bracelet, rolling her eyes as Danny said something to her mother over the phone. The pasty white walls of the hospital were giving her a headache, and on the second day of her four day bed-rest, she was getting restless.

As soon as he had said good-bye to her parents, Sam pulled Danny into a hug. He tucked her head under his chin and held her gently. "It's gonna be okay, Sam. We're going to put Greg in jail and go on with our lives."

She shook her head. "It's not that simple." Danny pulled away and looked into her lilac eyes. Before he could ask what she meant, he saw her eyes flicker with that familiar pain and lonely gaze. But he saw in her orbs a new sort of hurt, one he couldn't begin to describe. It looked as if her heart had been ripped out and abused, and that she couldn't seem to find it again.

"He's- he's gone, isn't he?" The words seemed strange, alien. They didn't sound like they had come from his mouth at all. She looked at him quietly, a certain hollowness flashing across her face as she nodded very slowly. "Well…" He didn't know how to reply, so he did as he usually did and shot off the first thing to come to mind. "You're taking it well."

Her head stopped for a moment and began to move from side to side. "I'm not going to cry anymore. I'm sick of it." Danny was a bit surprised. In her journal, she had written that crying had become a daily habit, and that she was used to it. "I mean," She lifted her hands uselessly, trying to grasp the words from the air. "Back where I used to live, all of my friends saw me as a pillar of strength, and now look at me." She referred back to the ride up to Charleston. "Crying with you on the side of the road."

Danny winced as the shared memory passed mockingly between them. He pulled himself up and sat on the edge of her bed. Looking into her glossy lilac orbs, he placed my hand on hers, smiling encouragingly.

A clearing of the throat ripped through their shared silence, and Sam glared angrily at the intruder at the door. He was a stout man, his large belly hanging over his belt. He wore a casual suit, some novelty tie wrapped around his neck. "My name's Detective Watts and I'm here to speak with Samantha Manson." His voice was low and thick.

"Her name's Sam." Danny corrected.

Detective Watts shook off the comment with another clearing of his throat. He walked up to Sam's bed and took a seat in the chair on her other side. "I was told you had information on Gregory Sanders." He pulled out a thick notepad.

"I might." She warned lowly. "What about him?" Danny noticed a glitter in her eyes that could only be translated as hatred.

"You're one of his ex-girlfriends, right?" She acknowledged him with a short nod of her head. "Well, one of his girls claimed that he was abusing her… hitting her, pushing her, you know?"

"I know what 'abusing' means; I'm not stupid." Sam snapped, clenching the bed sheet in her hand. "What do you want with me?" Danny began to wonder if this was how she always acted when Greg came up in conversations.

"Look, cooperate, missy." He pointed a fat finger at her, which Danny lowered threateningly. The detective sighed and leaned back. "First, I'd just like to know a little about you. You know, is this your boyfriend? When's your baby due? Stuff like that. Then we can get into Gregory when you're more comfortable with me."

Danny froze as an angry aura seemed to seep from the girl in the bed. "First of all, _detective,_ he _is_ my boyfriend. Second of all, if you want to get into when my son is due, you're gonna find yourself looking at an entirely different case."

Watts leaned back, smoothing his tie over his ample stomach. "What does that mean?"

"My son is dead." She hissed lowly, sitting up.

Danny placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sam, it's okay. Calm down."

She looked at him for a moment before glaring at the detective again. "Greg came and attacked me yesterday morning, sir. What did you think I was here for?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I was told by your doctor in Amity Park that you were here for observation." He pulled a pencil out from behind his ear and raised his thick notepad. "Could you tell me what happened yesterday morning?"

She turned to Danny, her voice suddenly calm and soft. "Could you get me some water?" He looked at her, wanting to stay, and then nodded. When he returned, it seemed that the two he left were on much better terms and were talking about why she was supposed to be under observation. He handed her the cup. With a smile and a thank-you, she took a sip and set it aside.

"Now, uh, about yesterday?"

Danny braced himself for another onslaught of anger, but she merely sighed and folded her hands in her lap. "When I woke up yesterday, probably about nine or ten, I don't remember, I noticed that Danny wasn't in bed and I kinda panicked. Honestly, I thought he had left me." She licked her lips and continued. "I freaked out for about ten minutes before I found his note on the bathroom sink. I calmed down and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"There was a knock on the door, so I stood up and put the note to the side. I opened up the door and it was Greg." She took a deep breath. "He just glared at me for what seemed like forever before I took a step back and told him to go away. He snorted and walked in anyways, looking at my stomach. He said 'What, you're sleeping with him too?' It took me a minute to realize that he was talking about Danny, and when I told Greg that it was his, he just kind of flipped."

"Wait." The detective interrupted and sat up, alarmed. "Your kid was _his, _and not his?" He pointed his pencil at Danny and looked him up and down.

"Like I said, sir, an entirely different case." She looked at him intently before continuing again. "He hit me, and I fell to the floor. Then he kicked me. I somehow managed to get up, and tried to run away, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I kneed him, and while he was down, I grabbed my cell phone and called Danny for help. While I was talking to him, Greg came up, kicked my phone out of my hand, and then stepped on it. I tried running to the bathroom so I could shut him out until Danny got there, but he followed and started hitting me again as soon as I grabbed the door. He somehow backed me in the bathroom and pushed me again. I fell over the side of the tub and hit my head against the wall. When I woke up, Greg was gone, and Danny was calling my name."

"I see." The detective leaned forward. "Do you have any idea why he might've gone off on you like that?"

To both mens' surprise, Sam threw her head back and laughed. "Either because he knew you guys were onto him, or because he didn't want to face two charges."

"What do you mean two charges?" Danny couldn't help but wince at the detective's stupid question.

Sam looked at him quietly and said defiantly, "Greg raped me."

The detective's bushy eyebrows shot up, and he bent over his notepad, writing in a flurry. "Thanks, again, for all of this information, Miss Manson. I can't believe this slipped past us. Did you file a charge?"

"My parents didn't let me. They never believed me. The only reason we moved was to protect their precious reputation, not me."

"This might be a little painful, but would you mind telling me what happened the night you were raped?" Detective Watts said as he continued writing.

Sam looked at Danny, who was still in a bit of a shock, and nodded. "We were at my house. My parents were off in some other country, of course, so we were alone. We had these drinks we were drinking while we watched movies, and even though mine was half-full, he insisted on refilling it for me when he took his." She shook her head. "I still can't believe I didn't suspect anything then. Anyways, when he brought it back, I drank out of it. I started to get tired and eventually fell asleep on his shoulder." Danny noticed that her eyes glazed over, and she was staring off into space as if she weren't even in the same room anymore.

"I woke up with his hand under my shirt and jumped. Our relationship wasn't that advanced, and it kind of shocked me. I found that my mouth wouldn't work and I couldn't move my body. He leaned down and whispered, 'Shhh, Sam. It's just me.' I didn't- couldn't react before he was touching me, his hands going all over me. And I just couldn't move. I felt like this huge weight was on my chest, keeping me from protesting while he did what he wanted."

Danny found the tugging at his chest unbearable, and turned away so the other two wouldn't see his electric green eyes. "I'm sorry, Sam. I'll be right back." Standing up, he walked out of the room, clenching and unclenching his fists furiously. He took a seat in one of the benches outside of a nearby room, leaning over and taking several deep breaths. The anger ricocheting through him was uncontrollable, like a fire feasting on a forest.

He suddenly wondered if this was how Sam felt when she woke up with Greg: trapped, helpless, unable to do anything. Danny released a low growl and stood.

When he was calmer, he walked back to Sam's room and found himself face-to-face with Detective Watts. "I'm sure I'll see you again soon." The large man said and nodded a good-bye. He left, and Danny walked to Sam's side.

She was smiling.

"Hey." He said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Danny," she breathed, and her eyes lit up. Her smile was so wide, he could only wonder what had her so happy after she had just told such a scarring story. "He's not dead."

"What?" He murmured, falling slowly into the seat next to her.

"My son." Her smile grew, if it was possible. "He just kicked."

XD

Yeah, I knew I couldn't do that to you guys. Besides, the baby still has an important role in the many upcoming chapters. In other events, should this be bumped up to M now? I was probably going to do it later on, but I don't know if you guys think I should do it now or not, so the choice is yours. Aloha!

-Curiosity


	8. Chapter 8

It's decided. This story is going to stay under "Teen" until I choose to move it later on. This is just sort of a filler chappie, and though I don't like how the last couple of chapters have come our, the real drama will be coming in hopefully soon, including a confrontation scene between Danny and Greg. (wink, wink) I'll probably go through this and the last chappie and repost them once I've edited them. On to the reading!

XD

"It was hilarious; you should've seen the look on the nurse's face." Danny commented, tossing his backpack on the floor next to Sam's bed and falling on the large, plush, mattress.

"Are you telling him that story about the ultrasound?" Sam asked, crawling out from under the covers and putting her book on the floor.

"Of course." Tucker said, shrugging off his own backpack and rolling over her desk chair. "How's the bed rest?"

Sam sighed exasperatedly, falling back against the pillows. "Absolutely horrible. I seriously wanted to smack that woman when she told me I needed four more days." She sat back up, pushing a piece of ebony hair away from her pale face. "Did you guys get my homework like I asked?"

"I did. I was on homework duty and Danny covered food." The raven-haired boy held up a bag of Nasty Burger food as Tucker pulled out his PDA, tapping on it with the small stylus. "You have… page one-thirty-seven, problems nine through fifteen in calculus-"

"Still don't see how you take that." Danny interjected casually, making himself comfortable on the end of Sam's bed.

Tucker snorted and continued. "You also have to write an essay in AP English over foils in Hamlet and read pages ninety-two through one-oh-six for science."

Danny had been pulling out each piece of work from his own backpack as Tucker spoke. "Yeah, we got notes from the girl who sits next to you in English and the guy who sits behind you in Political science." He pulled out a small stack of papers, dropping them on top of Sam's calculus book.

"Thanks, guys. I missed enough days from being in Charleston and I hate having to miss them here too. Now, hand me the salad I know you got me, and-"

"Oh, _crap._" Danny interrupted, smacking himself in the forehead. "I'm sorry, Sam. I totally forgot about the veggie thing!"

"What?" she breathed, resisting the urge to strangle the boy sitting on her bed.

Danny pulled out a foil-wrapped burger. "Do you want a meaty-meat burger?"

A small, black pillow was thrown his way, hitting him squarely on his back. "Stop it, and give her the salad!" Tucker laughed, leaning over and taking the burger from Danny's hands.

"Why'd you do that dude?" The boy asked, pulling out a small, plastic container and a fork, handing them to the still shocked female. "She was totally falling for it!"

Sam took the pillow behind her and threw it at him, with less success as Tucker. The large, lilac pillow barely skimmed Danny's leg before falling lazily to the floor. "That was cruel, Daniel Fenton." She stated, popping open the salad with a glare.

He laughed. "I know, but I just couldn't resist." Danny pulled out his own burger, pushing the bag to the floor. He placed a napkin on Sam's comforter before laying the greasy wrapper down and unwrapping.

"Ugh." Danny looked up as Sam wrinkled her nose at the salad. "Nasty Burger is definitely losing their touch." She closed the container, sliding it to the side with disgust. "Tucker, could you go downstairs and get me a yogurt out of the fridge? I think there should be one left."

"Yeah." The boy said, his mouth overly stuffed, and stood, making sure to take the burger with him as he left. "Things I do for you…" he muttered as he left. Sam promptly threw another pillow at him, causing him to shriek girlishly.

Danny burst into laughter, nearly choking on his own food. Once he swallowed, he reached for Sam's salad, taking a piece of lettuce out and popping it in his mouth. "Tastes fine to me, _sweetie_." He grinned impishly as he ducked, a plastic fork flying over his head.

"Stop picking on me! I was mad at that stupid detective and I didn't know what I was saying." Sam protested, folding her arms across her chest.

"I know, it's just so easy to tease you about it." She stuck her tongue out at him. He smiled, returning to his burger. "Hey, Sam?"

"Mmm-hmm?" She made herself comfortable on the large bed, laying on her side and propping her head up with her elbow.

"You never really said anything about me…being Danny Phantom…" His eyes looked downward, memorizing the pattern on her comforter. "And… you haven't told anyone, have you?"

"No…" Sam drew out slowly, tucking one of the fluffy pillows between her knees. "But, uh, I do have a few questions."

"Shoot." Danny felt a wave of relief scorch through him as he bit into the last bit of his burger.

"Well, first of all, how'd it happen?" She pulled at a loose string on her shirt, winding and unwinding it around her finger.

"My parents are ghost hunters, right." At her nod, he continued. "They have this ghost portal down in the lab. Freshman year, me and Tuck were goofing off and I went inside it. I accidentally pressed some button and turned it on. I was knocked out, and when I woke up, I was Danny Phantom."

"So…" She looked up at him as she heard Tucker's footsteps on the stairs. "Tuck knows too?"

"Tuck knows what too?" The techno-geek, strode into the room, tossing a spoon and a small container onto the bed in front of Sam.

"About our town's favorite halfa." Danny replied, crumpling the foil to his food. "Next question."

Sam shot a glance to Tucker, who was pulling another container, much like the salad, out of the Nasty Burger bag, and opened her yogurt. "Okay, why do your eyes change colors?"

That question startled him. She was more observant than he had taken her for. "When I'm Fenton, my eyes are usually blue, but when I'm Phantom, they're green, just another part of the ghost effect."

"Usually?"

Tucker spoke up, opening the container to reveal a pile of cheese fries. Danny immediately dived for one. "When he gets mad or upset, his eyes change, like a mood ring."

The female eyed the halfa's aquamarine orbs. "Well, that's convenient." She murmured, taking a bite of her snack. She swallowed. "Like at Paulina's party?"

Danny looked at her, silent for a moment. "Yeah, like that." He looked away guiltily, thinking about how angry he had gotten at Charleston. The feeling that crept over him whenever his mind even skimmed over the subject of Greg was unbearably angering. Just the mention of his name would send him sulking and slamming doors.

"What about your parents?" Sam inquired, breaking into his thoughts. "Do they know about it?"

"Uh, no, they don't." She nodded slowly. "They're just so obsessed with hunting and destroying them, I just never…" He shrugged. "I don't want them to strap me down to some lab table, in my own house nonetheless, and observe me like one of their experiments."

"Must be tough…" She murmured, tapping the bottom of her already empty yogurt cup with her spoon. "Doesn't anyone besides Tucker know?" Her voice was gentle, sympathetic and soothing.

Danny shrugged, smiling. "My sister knows. She's a psychologist in training, and she's always getting on my case about having too much stress and depression." He chuckled. "She does cover for me a lot, and it's nice having a first aid kit right across the hall."

"Oh." And that was it. The conversation was closed. "Hey, Tuck, hand me that book over there."

"This one?" Tucker walked over to her desk, picking up a small book and showing it to her before tossing it on the comforter in front of her. "What is it?"

"It…" She picked it up, placing the empty, plastic cup to the side. "Is a book of baby names. I am sick of calling him 'the kid' and 'the baby.'"

"Ah." Danny reached over, picking up another of the fries and quickly disposing of it. "Let's form a plan." He leaned over, as if discussing a battle plan. "Me and Tuck'll go through it while you do your homework, pick thirty names, and write them down." The other two nodded. "Then, you'll look at the list, knock off any you don't like or want, and the rest we'll put in Tuck's hat and draw." Danny reached over, picking up her calculus book and placing it in front of her. "We'll pick, mmm… five, and you can choose from that."

Sam chewed on her cheek thoughtfully, rolling the idea around her mind. Finally, she looked up at him with a nod. "That sounds good. Give me a pencil and I'll give you the book." The halfa nodded and made the exchange, leaning over the pile of fries to discuss the plan.

After about twenty minutes, Danny and Tucker had formed a long list, each name scrawled on a notepad. They reviewed the list carefully, praising and scratching off names when necessary. Finally, they handed the notepad to Sam. She made them wait a moment while she finished the last problem, and then took it. Her eyes scanned over it meticulously, muttering under her breath every minute or two. It made Danny guffaw when her eyes widened at one of the names they had chosen and she marked it out over and over again.

Eventually, she handed the list back to Danny, who glanced over it quickly before cutting the remaining names into strips and handing them to Tucker. The techno-geek reluctantly took off his hat, glaring when his friends snickered at the sight of him without it, and dropped the slips inside.

"Okay, who's picking first?" He announced, holding up the hat.

"Me." Sam leaned over and squeezed her eyes shut, reaching in and pulling out one of the strips. "Hmm, Aaron…" She nodded her head in approval as Tucker held out the hat to Danny.

"Okay, I'm going in." He said, donning some silly accent.

"Just shut up and pick, you goof!" Sam laughed.

Danny stuck his tongue out at her, but didn't say anything. He leaned over slightly and chose a slip quickly. Straightening it with his forefinger and thumb, he looked up at Sam. "Alexander." He snorted. "I still say that sounds like a soap opera name."

Sam rolled her eyes and took the slip from his hands, placing it with the other in front of her.

"My turn!" Tucker closed his eyes, making a big show of picking a name before Sam hit him impatiently. He laughed and drew one. "Hah! I got the one I picked- Christopher." He made some dramatic flourish with his hand and tossed the slip on the bed.

Danny laughed. "Okay, I stand corrected; _that_ is a soap opera name."

And so it went. Danny and Sam both picked once more, the results being "Caleb" and "Jacob," and collected the papers in front of her. The boys scrutinized her as Sam took a long while, moving the slips around, testing the names on her lips. Every few moments, she'd look at a pair of names for a long time, then dismissing the idea with a shake of her head.

Suddenly, her eyes widened. Sam pushed away the slips in front of her, pulling two that she had dismissed back into the spotlight. She made a quick switch of the papers and breathed, barely audible, "Caleb Alexander…" She looked up, pure excitement radiating off of her. "Caleb Alexander!"

Tucker grinned. "Sounds perfect, Sam."

She bit her lip and sank back against the pillows, looking at the two small papers happily. "Yeah."

A sudden ringing interrupted the moment. Sam looked over at Danny as he pulled his cell phone and pressed it to his ear, turning away so he could speak. "Mmm-hmm… yeah… okay… be there soon."

"You have to go?" she said, almost mournfully.

He nodded. "My sister wants to know if I could get a pizza and take it home. Apparently, Mom's steak and potatoes just got up and walked off the table." He grinned, picking up his backpack.

"Yeah, I gotta go too." Tucker said, gathering his own things. "With Danny's ghost hunting, my grades have been slipping and I have to get a project done for English." He shrugged. "Sorry, Sam." He gathered his trash and left, nodding and waving briefly before disappearing down the hall.

"I'll call you tonight, okay?" Danny said. "Or do you think getting into that chair and rolling over to that computer to chat counts as bed rest?"

She smiled. "I believe it does." He grinned and waved. Danny started to leave, but she stopped him. "Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could…" She blushed a furious red. "Never mind."

He furrowed his brow. "Could what?" She shook her head. Danny stepped back, adjusting his strap on his shoulder. "What is it, Sam?"

She sighed, turning an even brighter red, if that was possible. "I, uh, just wanted to know if," She looked away, thoroughly embarrassed. "If you would sleep with me." She muttered the last part quickly, trying to make sure he wouldn't understand, but he got every word and blushed just as bright.

"Sam, uh, I don't…"

"It's okay, just forget it. I was just thinking that with Greg still around, and at Charleston…" She shook her head, trying to no avail to hide her blush. "Just, never mind. It was stupid."

"Yeah," Danny murmured, rubbing his neck nervously. "I- I will, I mean." He swallowed, and before she could say another word, he went intangible and flew into the night, leaving a very shocked Sam behind.

XD

Oooh, whee! Yeah, them blushing is just so cute. I don't know how good this is; I didn't go over and edit it like I usually do. Just take this as my birthday present, even though it's not for another week. :D

-Curiosity


	9. Chapter 9

I've returned! I'm not dead! Gosh, you guys, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to get this up sooner. The last month of school's been hitting me full force, so I've barely had enough time to BREATHE. But anyways, go ahead and read, I'm sure you're ready to find out what's going on after I just abandoned ya'll like that. (So sorry!)

XD

"Good afternoon!" Danny nearly sang, bouncing in front of Sam. The hallways were nearly empty, as the last bell had rung forty minutes before. He had been looking for her since, and found her by her locker, grumbling under her breath while she picked up her books, which she appeared to have dropped. "How're you doing?" he asked, bending down to help.

She looked up, an exasperated look on her face. "At least it's Friday." She sighed, shaking her head and accepting his out stretched hand. He quickly helped her up, leaning against the row of lockers. "I don't think I could take another minute of school for a few days."

He grinned mischievously. "I got you something." Reaching in his back pocket, he pulled out a small heart shaped box of chocolate. "Happy Valentines Day!" He watched as her expression brightened slightly.

"Thanks, Danny, I've been wanting chocolate all day." She said, taking the small box and shutting her open locker.

He gasped in mock surprise. "You mean nobody asked you to be their Valentine?" He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I guess that means I have to ask."

"Oh, please." She said. "Don't do anything you don't want to do." Breaking away, she linked her arm in his and started down the hall.

"Okay." He replied, pushing the school door open and walking to the parking lot, where Tucker was waiting by his truck. "I won't."

"Hey, Tuck." Sam greeted the techno-geek with a smile and a wave. "Where ya heading?" She released Danny's arm and ran a hand through her hair.

"I thought we were gonna head over to Nasty Burger." The boy said, slipping his PDA into his pocket. "Or were you two planning something… special?" he teased, drawing out the final word.

"As a matter of fact," Danny spoke up. "We are." Sam looked up at him, confused, but he smiled down at her. "I haven't taken Miss Mom out to eat in forever." Before the other teens could object, he finished. "Out to eat anywhere other than Nasty Burger."

"So…" Tucker raised an eyebrow. "You're always together, you go out to eat together, you sleep together-"

"_Tucker!_" the couple hissed in unison, regretting ever telling their friend their secret. Blushing, Danny continued. "It's not like that at all and you know it!"

"Don't interrupt me!" he quickly reprimanded, holding up a finger. "You find any reason to hang out, and you're still not an item?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I think the whole school is going to strangle you two if you don't hook up soon."

"Well, they can go ahead." Sam sniffed, pulling Danny towards her car. "See ya, Tuck!" The boy waved them off, and Sam stepped up to where she had parked earlier that morning. "You wanna drive or do you want me to?" she asked, holding up the keys.

"Go ahead," he said, opening the passenger side door and ducking inside. "Might as well not have to switch seats when you drop me off."

She shrugged, getting in as well. "I see your point." As she twisted the keys in the ignition, she waved to Tucker as he pulled out of the near-empty parking lot. She followed the boy, picking up light conversation with Danny as they made their way through town.

"So, you're taking me out to eat. May I inquire as to where?" She pressed the break gently to stop for a red light.

"You may inquire, but I'm not obliged to answer." He replied, grinning at the street before him. Rolling her eyes, Sam stuck her tongue out at him. Danny just laughed. "Don't worry. It'll be nice, I promise"

"Whatever." Tucker's taillights disappeared as she turned the corner onto Danny's street. "Just promise me you're not going to 'surprise' me by popping me into Al's Rib Shack."

He laughed again. "I promise I won't take you for ribs. Now, burgers, I can't promise."

"Get out of my car, you deviant." She teased, pulling up to the Fenton home and shoving him playfully. "Pick me up at seven?"

"Seven, it is." Danny agreed, opening the car door and getting out. "And make sure to dress nice." He waved good-bye as she backed out and drove back towards her own house.

"Anybody home?" Sam called when she stepped through the double doors of her large home. It was the maid's day off, so whether her parents were at home or in Paris was a mystery. The silence was her answer. "Just as well." She sighed, moving over to the stereo in the living room. Bending over her swollen stomach, she pressed a button or two until music was blasting through the mansion.

Looking at her watch, she figured an hour before Danny came to get her. Sam absentmindedly sang along to the song as she climbed the stairs and turned towards her room. _"You can't just come crawling back, expecting me to smile." _ For once in a long time, she found herself worrying about what to wear. _"Begging for love- that's just not my style." _

She kicked her shoes under her bed, bouncing over to the closet. _"You messed me up good, that's all I can say." _ Running her fingers over the assorted clothing items, Sam pushed each outfit choice aside. _"You can beg for my heart, but I ain't so easy to sway." _

As the music built to a crescendo of loud guitars, she pulled out a decent looking dress. It was simple, an average little black dress, made of a light, slinky material. It hugged her torso gently and flared out to look sweet. _"You can't comprehend the pain I feel." _ Sam walked over to her sewing kit, a twelfth birthday present from her grandmother, and opened it, pulling out a spool of thick, red ribbon. _"I don't think you even get what's real. You made a stupid decision, and I'm paying for it." _She pulled out her scissors, rolled out a length of the ribbon, and cut it to fit her liking. _"You've got my past but you don't have my spirit."_

Sam set the ribbon aside and stepped into the dress, pulling it up and pushing her arms through the inch-thick straps. She reached around and only succeeded in pulling the zipper up halfway. "Candice, could you-" After remembering the maid was gone, she cut off and sighed exasperatedly. "Never mind. I'll get Danny to do it when he gets here." Sam managed to get the zipper high enough so that she could wrap the bow around her stomach and tie it into a neat bow. She spent a few minutes fussing, and then twisted it around so the bow was in the back.

After a moment, she sighed and removed the ribbon, using it to tie up her hair instead. The music continued to play downstairs as she reapplied her deodorant and dabbed a bit of perfume on her wrists and neck.

She sat on the bed, laying back and closing her eyes for a moment. There was a headache forming above her eyes, and the room was unbearably warm. Sam got up and moved to the window, pulling it up. "Too hot…" she muttered. "It's always too freaking hot."

After a moment, she decided the room was still too stuffy, picked up her black ballet flats and walked downstairs. The openness outside her door immediately cooled her, gusts of fresh air rushing to meet her with a "whoosh." She made her way downstairs and threw the flats on the couch before moving to the kitchen to take a couple of aspirins.

After she had fixed a glass and swallowed the pills, Sam moved back to the living room and laid down on the couch. Her whole body felt heavy, and the aspirin would take a while to kick in. She closed her eyes and sighed, allowing herself to sink into the pillows.

The next thing she knew, the doorbell was ringing.

Sam leaned over the side of the couch, digging through he purse and pulling out her cell phone. She flipped it open and groaned when she was greeted with "6:57" across the phone's screen. With a yawn and a sigh, she slid her legs over the side of the couch, pushing her shoes into the floor and stepping into them.

"Coming!" she yelled when the doorbell rang again. Sam grabbed her purse and moved to the door, pulling it open. "Hey, Danny. You look nice." She stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad, yourself." He grinned and looked down. "As soon as I told Jazz I was taking you out tonight, she dragged me upstairs and started dressing me like a Barbie doll."

"She did good." And she had. His outfit actually looked thought out: nice jeans (not a big surprise), and a button-up, red shirt under a black blazer (big surprise). His hair, while still messy, was slightly tamed, not the wild bramble bush it usually was. Overall, he looked pretty good.

"Now, are you ready to eat?" he asked as he led her to the car, opening the passenger's side door for her.

"Anything that's not meat, yes. Oh!" She turned around. "Would you mind zipping this up all the way?" She tried looking over her shoulder to make sure he knew she meant the zipper.

"Sure." Danny took a step forwards, taking the zipper between his forefinger and thumb and placing his other hand on her waist. He closed the gap exposing her pale skin with a tug and released her, stepping back again.

"Thank you." And she took her seat as he made his way around the car and got in himself. "Ugh…" Her headache had gone away, but in its place, her back felt stiff and sore. She sighed and let her head fall against the headrest. This wasn't her day.

They sped through the city in silence. Sam would occasionally comment on the speed (Danny liked to drive fast), or ask about the restaurant, but other than that, they mostly relaxed in the silence. Buildings and streets flew by melting into scenery.

"Alright…" Danny began as they parked. "Welcome to La Bella Italia"

Sam opened her eyes (when had she closed them?) and gasped. The building was beautiful, stunning. The entire front wall, Except for metal framing, was glass, so that outsiders could see inside. As Sam got out of the car and hurried to the front door, she could see a grand piano, the pianist playing barely audible music in the far corner of the front room. "Oh, my gosh, Danny! This is wonderful!"

"I thought you'd like it." He opened the door for her, grinning as the soft smell of her perfume followed her every step. Once he closed the door, he was greeted by a brunette woman in white. "I have reservations- under 'Fenton'?" The woman moved over to a podium, scanned over a list, and looked up with a smile.

"You got reservations?" Sam asked as the woman led them to a table near the back of the room. "And how much is this costing you?"

"Yes, and as far as you know, nothing." He pulled out her chair before taking his own seat. "I was put through manners boot camp, so you better let me pamper you and like it." He grinned crookedly.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you absolutely insist."

"Oh, I do."

The sat in silence for a moment as the scanned the menus. A waiter came, took their orders and left, leaving them to talk. It was awkward at first. The waiter had referred to Sam as "The Mrs.," causing both teens to blush. But eventually, something funny sparked their interest and they carried on again.

"Do we really look that old?" Sam laughed, reacting to something Danny had said about the man's slip-up.

"Sure. With Caleb and my debonair good looks," Pause for laughter. "We could easily pass for twenty-six."

"What do your looks have to do with anything?" she asked through a giggle.

"_Absolutely nothing_." Danny said in all seriousness, making her laugh again.

She shook her head with a smile. A petite blonde woman came to their table carrying a tray of food. "That was fast." She marveled aloud. The woman smiled to herself and handed the teens their food.

"Yep. This place is awesome. I came here once for Jazz's graduation dinner and now it's kinda family tradition to have special occasions here." He quickly thanked the waitress and picked up his fork, digging into his lasagna.

"Well, it's nice to know you think of this as a special occasion." She said, picking up her own fork and twirling a few strands of Fettuccini Alfredo around her bowl.

He smiled, not looking up from his plate. "Or how about I just think of you as special?"

Pink spread across the bridge of her nose, and she almost dropped her fork. Why did she feel so surprised he had said that? Danny said sweet stuff like that all the time. She quickly regained her composure, answering him with a simple, "Okay, then."

The continued their meal as if he hadn't said anything, talking and laughing. It was easy for them. Like they had been friends forever instead of just a few months. But then again, they'd been through a lot together in those few months. Maybe it came so easy because they had no secrets, because there wasn't anything between them. She knew his secret and he knew hers. They had no reason to lie, no reason to keep things from each other.

"Sam, what are we?" Danny said suddenly, looking up from his dessert. "Are you my girlfriend? My friend? What am I supposed to say to people when they ask what you are to me?"

_Shhh, Sam… It's just me…_

She was stunned. "What- what do you want me to be?" she stammered, stirring the chocolate ice-cream in her little glass bowl.

He blushed, looking down at his own dessert. "I- I like you, Sam. I really do, but I never know what you're thinking. I don't know if you think of me like I do you or if you'd rather me just be your brotherly friend."

She sighed, dropping her spoon and putting her hands over her eyes. Her back was aching, but she hadn't noticed until the mood suddenly changed. "Danny, I…" She looked up, pain and regret bubbling in her chest. "You don't want-"

Her cell phone rang mid-sentence. Both teens sighed, and Danny slumped against his chair as Sam reached for her bag, pulling out the small phone. "Hello?" she asked irritably. The person on the other side spoke for a moment and her expression dropped to curious surprise. "Yes, this is she. How can I help you today?"

Danny watched as her expression changed once again, to shock and almost fear. "Yes, I understand…" she continued. "Tomorrow? I think so… mmm-hmmm…okay, thank you… good-bye." She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it with an unnamable look on her face.

"What's going on?" Danny inquired, his anger slightly subsided by her changing expressions. She began dialing the small phone, placing it to her hear again. "Who are you calling?"

Sam sighed. "My lawyer." She looked up into his cerulean eyes. "They've found Greg."

XD

Oh my god! This chapter is finally OVER! I really hate this chappie. It took forever to finish and it just doesn't flow like I want it to. There's gonna be a couple court scenes coming up, but I promise there's gonna be some pretty fluffy romance too. G'night! Sorry it took so long. This chapter was really getting on my last nerve and that just made it no fun to type. I'll have the next chappie up as soon as it's done.

-Curiosity


	10. Chapter 10

Good evening…morning…whatever this is. I warn you. This is a rather short and filler-like chappie, but it does have a long-awaited confrontation and a new plot twist. Read on, my faithful readers, read on

XD

"Sam. Calm down." Danny encouraged slowly, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Oh, my god, Danny. You don't get it." She tightened her hands on the steering wheel, keeping her glaring eyes on the road in front of her. "What would you do if you were going to meet your lawyer so you could talk about the night you were raped, huh? Would you calm down?"

Danny sighed. She'd been like that since she picked him up earlier that morning. He leaned back against the passenger's side door and crossed his arms. When she was in one of these moods, especially lately, he figured it was best to just let her rant.

"I mean, I get a call in the middle of dinner from some random detective saying that he needs me in New York by tomorrow. It's unbelievable! And then my lawyer says she'll have to meet me before the trial starts so I can fill her in on a year of information. I know it's not her fault, it's just really stressful, you know?"

"I understand, Sam. It's a really tight schedule, and you're really worried about the case." He said, trying to be as helpful as possible.

"Among other things." She said grimly, putting a hand on her stomach subconsciously. It was her latest habit. Whenever someone mentioned or she thought about Greg, her hand moved straight to the belly. Danny wasn't sure if she knew she did it or not, but if she was watching some sappy romance movie or writing in her notebook, her hand was resting comfortably on her swollen stomach.

"So, how much farther is it to this place?" he asked, glancing at the car's clock.

"We're almost there, actually." She replied, her demeanor slightly happier. "Should only be about twenty or so more minutes." Her hand moved from her belly to turn up the radio, and when the volume was to her satisfaction, it fell to her lap instead of returning to its resting place.

That kept him content. The window was open, blowing her shoulder-length hair around her face, and Danny took the opportunity to admire her. She was decked rather nicer than usual. She wore nice black pants, pinstriped with lime green to match her thermal. Her dark eyeliner was toned down, lighter and more brown than black. And her violet lipstick was nowhere in sight, just a thin layer of clear gloss covering her lips. He had to admit, this more natural look was hot.

"What?"

Danny broke from his trance, blushing as he realized he had been caught staring at her. "Huh?" _Genius._ "Sorry, Sam, I guess I just spaced out."

"Oh. Well are you gonna get out or what?"

"Huh?" _Double genius. _It took him a moment to realize they were in a parking lot, a rather empty parking lot, but a parking lot nonetheless. "Oh, yeah." He unbuckled his seatbelt and stumbled out, watching Sam get out gracefully, embarrassed that he'd been so dense as not to realize they had stopped.

He followed her as she headed for the large building in front of them. It was extremely tall, made of brick. There was a part of the wall that was filled with bricks that had named inscribed on them, donators, Danny guessed. A stone mermaid sat near to the right of the building, her hands held above her head as if she was offering something. Water spouted from her open hands, collecting in the small pool the mermaid was lying in. The courthouse.

As they entered, Danny noticed that the Mansons' names were written on one of the bricks. "You guys donated?" he inquired casually, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"My loving parents." Sam replied, picking a dark hair off of her shirt and dropping it to her side. "Publicity thing." She picked her phone out of her black leather bag and pressed a few buttons, turning it off, Danny supposed, before slipping it back in.

As she looked up, her face suddenly brightened, and she gasped. "Charlie!"

"Sam!" The girl in question ran towards a woman near the back of the room that Danny hadn't noticed. The woman was wearing a nice black pant-suit, a lacy camisole peaking out from behind her jacket. Her brown hair was cut bluntly at her chin, and her bangs swept from her left, just barely concealing a pair of green eyes. "Oh, my god, I haven't seen you in forever."

Sam laughed. "I think that's a good thing." Danny stepped up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"Ah, the moral support." The woman said with a smile, putting a fist on her hip.

"This is my friend, Danny. Danny, this is Charlotte Davenport, my lawyer and fellow rich girl gone rebel." She clasped her hands in front of her, her smile broad. Danny didn't miss how she slightly emphasized the word "friend"; he just wondered if that was for his sake or Charlotte's.

"Please, call me Charlie." She extended a nicely manicured hand and he took it, shaking it. She had a firm grip.

"Nice to meet you, Charlie."

She nodded and turned to Sam, her face more serious. "Alright, I've got a private room set up for us so you can fill me in." She looked at her watch. "It looks like we've got more time than I thought, so we won't be so rushed." Charlie waved them down a hall, walking towards a door near the end, pushing it open. "Of course, you know that Jerk-face's lawyer's gonna want to talk to you too, right?"

Sam groaned as she took a seat at the table in the middle of the room. "Yes, it's just all been so hectic that I forgot."

"I know, seriously. I haven't even had time to prepare anything. But don't worry, I won't let you slip, Sam." Charlie sat down in the chair across from her, and Danny took the one beside her.

"I know. I'm not worried about losing or winning. I just… I don't know…"

Charlie looked at her sympathetically for a moment before opening the file in front of her and sighing. "Okay, I know about as much as you told me. Would you mind filling me in on details? Dates? Times, if possible?"

"I'll try."

Danny sat with his eyes closed and his head down as Sam relayed the story she had told the detective at the hospital in Charleston. His fists repetitively clenched and unclenched under the table, and about half way through her story, Sam noticed and discreetly slipped her hand over his. She kept it there until his hand relaxed and took hers in his. Once he did that, she stuttered for a moment and put her own hand back on the table.

Danny inwardly sighed as her story came to an end and the women began talking about Caleb. "Speaking of, Danny?"

"Yeah?" He said, looking up at her.

"The trial's going to start in a little bit, and I didn't really get anything for breakfast. Would you mind going and getting me my backpack out of the car?" She looked at him pleadingly.

"You mean, 'Would you get my backpack out of the car while I gush to my friend about stuff I don't want you to hear?'" he said, but began standing anyways.

"That's exactly it." She grinned, playfully pushing him away.

"Sure, Sam." Danny strode out of the room, closing the door behind him, and walked back up the hall. Running a hand through his hair, he stepped into the lobby and out the door. He squinted as the bright sun greeted him, putting a hand up to block the glaring light.

With a yawn, he made his way towards Sam's car. He opened the passenger's door and leaned in, grabbing the small backpack in the floor. Sam's _everything_ went in that bag. Whether it was her snacks or her keys, her notebook or her sonograms, everything important to her somehow ended up in the small abyss.

Danny ran a hand through his messy hair, shutting the door and walking back towards the large building. As he made his way to the doors, he noticed a man a year or two older than him standing by the fountain and smoking a cigarette. He began to look away, but noticed something familiar about him. He shook the feeling away and kept walking.

"So… You're the one who's screwing her, huh?"

Danny turned around. "What?" The man was speaking to him? Why?

He threw his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it. His voice was strange- deep, but light, with a classic New York accent. He spoke slowly, as if he were talking to someone mentally handicapped. "You are… the person… who is screwing my girlfriend. Am I right?"

And then it all came together.

"You… you're the one at the hotel… The one who was at the door." He turned completely, fixing Sam's backpack on his shoulder. His fist tightened on the strap. "_Greg_…"

"I see she's still got that ratty old thing." The man shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, that was me. What about it?"

Danny could literally feel his eyes glowing. "You're supposed to be in custody."

He shrugged. "I'm meeting my lawyer. Decided I'd have a smoke before he showed up and apparently, they don't like smoking in the courthouse." He jerked his chin towards a man nearby Danny hadn't noticed. "That one's got a gun."

He was speechless. There, standing in front of him, was the pinpoint of all his anger and hate, and he couldn't even say anything out of bounds for fear of being arrested.

"You never answered my question. Are you sleeping with my girl or not?"

"First of all, she's not your _girl_, and I'll be damned if she ever let you call her that and get away with it. Second of all, no, I'm not." _Eh. I have the right to remain silent, don't I?_

Greg laughed bitterly. "Too bad. She was a good lay."

"You son of a bitch." Danny was already taking a step forward, his hands clenched at his sides, before he felt a hand grip his shoulder and heard a voice floating over his shoulder.

"Now, now, Daniel, I must ask you to stop harassing my client." The hand left his shoulder and Danny's jaw dropped as Greg was led inside by the person he hated almost as much as he hated Greg, himself. "Good morning, Gregory. My name is Vlad Masters and I'll be your lawyer today."

XD

This is just a filler, really, before we get to the actual trial. It's not very important, but I had to introduce Greg, Vlad, and Charlie before the story could go on. This is a short chapter, and another will be put up soon, I promise. I finished this at two in the morning, so I'm not so sure how wonderful my grammar and spelling is. I swear that the next chapter is going to get much more interesting. I've got action, romance, and a full relay of what happened that fateful night with Sam and Greg ahead, so I'm sorry if the chapter doesn't come as soon as it should. Thanks for reading!

By the way, I'm having a summary contest. I don't feel mine really fits the story, so if you have a suggestion, the winner gets a sneak preview of the next few chapters. :D


	11. Chapter 11

So many apologies! Both personal and technical issues have been standing in the way of this chapter for way too long. My boyfriend and I broke up, and then my brother left for the army, and then my compy broke down, and then my new boyfriend turned out to be a stalker/sexual predator (_that_ was fun), and then my ex-boyfriend and I got BACK together, and as of now I'm facing strep. Whoo... So it's just been a long few weeks. But here is the big chapter, as promised.

I don't own Danny Phantom, dang it!

XD

_"I think that's everything." Sarah, my most cherished maid, murmured, gathering the last of her bags together. "Now remember, all the numbers are on the white board. The hospital, my cell, the-"_

_I laughed. "I know, Sarah, I know. Those numbers have been up there since I was old enough to dial a phone."_

_"Oh, Sammy, I don't have to worry about you, do I?" she looked me up and down for a moment before shaking her head. "No, you'll be just fine."_

_Smiling, I replied, "Yes, but you won't be if you miss your plane." I handed her the bag at my feet, and she slung it over her shoulder._

_"Now, there's dinner on the stove for you and that boy, so you can just warm that up whenever you get hungry. Vegetarian lasagna, your favorite." She chuckled at my brightened expression. "Oh, I"m going to miss you, sweetheart." Sarah hugged me one last time before stepping out the open door. _

_"I'll miss you too. Write me from Florida!"_

_She waved goodbye. "I promise." And closed the door behind her._

_I turned around to look back at the living room, sighing. With thirty minutes until Greg showed up, I walked over to our enormous collection of DVD's, picking out my favorite horrors. He'd been on vacation with his brother and sister-in-law for over a week, and I was ecstatic over the fact that I'd be in his arms in a little under an hour._

_Once I had a good selection of movies to watch, I stood up from my spot and moved towards the kitchen, my stomach rumbling. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed something glittering on the floor. Kneeling down, I picked up the sparkling item- Sarah's necklace. I fingered the tiny silver cross that I'd seen hanging from her neck for years. It had been a gift from her husband when they first got married over twenty years ago. _

_I stood up, walking into the kitchen and placing the necklace on the marble counter. I'd mail it to her as soon as she sent me an address._

_Sighing, I looked at the clock, frowning when I saw that I still had a while. Biting my lip, I moved to the stove, where the vegetarian lasagna was covered with tinfoil. I reached above the stove and opened up a cabinet, pulling out a small plate. Setting the plate on the counter, I gathered a fork and a knife from the silverware drawer and cut myself a piece of the lasagna, placing it on my plate._

_After I put the tinfoil back on the food, I put my plate into the microwave, setting it for two minutes. As soon as I had pressed "Start", the doorbell rang. I figured it was Sarah, returning for her necklace, but I gasped with surprise when I opened the door._

"_Greg!" I threw my arms around my boyfriend, breathing in his delicious, woody smell. "What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be here for another thirty minutes!"_

_He stepped back, pointing his thumb behind him. "Oh, well I can go if you want. I just figured that I'd show up early and surprise you, but if you don't want me..." He grinned as I slapped him playfully._

"_Ha ha. Very funny." I took his hand and pulled him inside. "So how was California? Did you have fun?" He took off his jacket as I closed the door, hanging it on the coat rack._

"_Yeah, it was great. I missed you though." He smiled crookedly, his brown eyes alight with happiness. _

"_Well, I missed you too." I said, moving back to the kitchen._

"_Something smells good." Greg noted as he followed me. "Sarah cooking?" He sniffed the air before his eyes landed on the lasagna. _

"_No, she already left for Florida. You just missed her." I pulled my food out of the microwave and held it out to him. "Here, I'll fix me another plate."_

"_You're too good to me, Sam." he said, picking my fork up off the counter and shoving a bite of lasagna into his mouth. "Good _God,_this woman can_ cook_!"_

_I laughed as I fixed my own food. "Yeah, Sarah's amazing." My eyes flickering to the necklace, I brushed it aside and jumped up onto the counter. "So, did you stay with your brother or did you go to a hotel?"_

_It didn't take long for him to rush into hilarious stories of California and his brother's crazy antics. He made me laugh so hard, there were moments I almost choked on my food. Greg, I always thought, would grow up to be a comic one day. The way he told stories was enough to make my sides hurt from laughing so hard._

_Eventually, we finished our food and moved into the living room. Greg put in a new horror flick that he had found in California, but the stories didn't stop until the third person was killed by the main psychotic killer. Yay for untreated mental disorders. _

_My eyes were wide, glued to the TV screen as a leggy blond gripped a pair of sharp scissors in her hand. The blond swallowed thickly as she crept through the abandoned hospital, exhaling shakily. My hands unconsciously tightened in the knot that I'd made in Greg's shirt as the blond gasped at a spatter of blood at her feet. _

_The sound of scraping metal made the blond's head snap up, and then the screen suddenly froze. I looked up at Greg with confusion, glaring at him when I realized that he had paused it. "Hey! What was that for?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest._

_He grinned crookedly. "I'm still thirsty," he stated simply as he stood up and grabbed his empty glass. "Do you want me to get you some more soda?"_

_I nodded, frowning at him and turning back to the TV as he stepped into the kitchen. The image on the screen was of the blond's fearful face. Over her shoulder, you could just barely make out the silhouette of the psychotic killer. His fingers were just slightly curled, making his hands look clawed. I shuddered as I anticipated what was about to happen and winced when I looked back to her terrified expression. Scary movies usually didn't get to me this bad, but this one just seemed more... I dunno... _real_than any I'd seen before._

_I wanted to tell her to run, to get out of there as fast as she could, but it wouldn't matter. She couldn't hear me, no matter how loudly I screamed._

"_Don't tell me you're scared," Greg chuckled, flopping back onto the couch next to me. _

_I smacked him and he laughed, handing me my drink as a peace offering. Frowning, I took it, sulking quietly as I gulped down the soda. _

"_Oh, come on, Sam, admit it." He poked my side, making me twist out of his reach. "You're scared that Tommy's going to show up tonight in your bedroom and kill you."_

_I glared over the edge of my cup. "No. If I think about him tonight, it'll be because I'm hoping he's at your house, killing you."_

_He shook his head, picking up the remote and pressing play again. "Aw, you know you don't want me dead, Kitten."_

_Snorting, I said, "That's debatable."_

_My eyes and body grew heavy as the movie played on. I found my thoughts drifting, and it took me a bit longer to jump at the sudden reactions of the blond heroine than it usually did. Before I knew what had happened, I found my face buried in Greg's shirt. I yawned, and his hand reached up to rub my back. Smiling was the last thing I remembered before I fell asleep._

_oO.Oo _

_There was something cold touching my stomach. My mind wasn't much but a foggy haze, but that much I knew. There was a sharp pain between my shoulder blades and there was something cold brushing across my stomach._

_I opened my eyes with a soft groan, wincing at the light my pupils found. They adjusted, but the room was still spinning dizzyingly around me. Frowning, I closed my eyes again, trying to move away from the cold thing touching me. My body felt heavy, though, and my arms must have weighed fifty pounds each._

"_Hey, hey, hey," A familiar voice scolded softly. "None of that."_

_I opened my eyes again. It was barely any better, but I could just barely make out Greg's form above me. I tried to ask what was going on, but I was too tired, too dizzy. My words came out slow and slurred, barely intelligible. The cold thing moved to my ribs, and I could feel something unclasping my bra. "What?" I mumbled. I didn't understand what was going on. What kept touching me? What was messing with my bra? _

"_Shhh, Sam... It's just me."_

_With a sharp gasp, I somehow pieced the puzzle together. It was Greg. His cold hand touching me. His fingers undoing the clasp. _

"_Stop," I said, my words slurred. I tried to move out of his grasp, but my body felt so heavy, and his weight was pressing me to the soft cushions beneath me._

_I heard his low growl. "Damn. Shoulda given her both of 'em."_

_My mind vaguely acknowledged that, and I became aware of a bitter taste in my mouth. I tried to tell him to stop again, but my voice was barely audible, and his cold hands were moving towards the waistband of my shorts. "No," I commanded, but my demand held no authority. His frozen fingers were still pulling off my shorts._

_I was faintly aware of hot tears on my cheeks. It was all so confusing. Maybe I was wrong- this wasn't Greg, the sweet, sensitive guy I'd dated for a year. It had to be someone else. A robber or some psycho. That made sense. Yeah, this was just some horrible dream brought on by watching scary movies. _

_The cold hand between my thighs was telling me differently._

"_Stop moving!" A harsh whisper reached my ears. I let out a soft whimper and tried to beg for whoever it was to quit, but my words were still unintelligible. It was an effort just to lift my hands to push against his shoulders weakly. "Dammit, Sam!" Another cold hand pushed away my pathetic attempt. _

_There was the sound of rustling fabric and I hissed as a sharp pain ripped through my lower stomach. "It's okay, Kitten," the voice said, and more tears made my face wet. "I can make you feel good, I swear." _

"_No," I whispered once more, but black was creeping upon the edges of my vision. A sob ripped from my throat and I squirmed in his grip. It didn't seem to affect him, though, and I knew it would be a long time before this torture would end._

_XD_...XD

Danny's hands clenched and unclenched in his pockets as he looked up at the girl sitting in front of the small crowd. He leaned over his lap and crossed his arms in front of his chest in an attempt to hide his no-doubt green eyes from the people around him.

Sam's testimony had him on the edge of his seat, making him hold onto any piece of control he had left. The urge to lunge out of his place behind Charlie and go ghost all over Greg's sorry butt was near to uncontrollable. But he had to keep his cool. For Sam.

"Thank you, Miss Manson." Vlad said, his voice thick. "Would you mind answering me a few questions?" His smile was thin, full of polite malice.

"Do I have a choice?" Sam grumbled tiredly, rubbing her temples with her middle fingers. Danny frowned. The case had started late, very late. She had spent so much energy worrying and pacing through the courthouse that she looked like she was about to collapse on her feet. It was already dark outside, and she should be resting, not relaying her story for the fourth time in twenty-four hours.

Vlad's lips twitched at her reply, but nobody said a word. "Miss Manson, did you tell your parents about what happened that next morning?" He inquired, fiddling with a pen as he leaned against the stand.

"They were in Rome the next morning," Sam muttered. "But, yes, I told them as soon as they got back."

"Did they file a police report?" Vlad asked, seemingly nonchalant, but Danny knew that he was up to something.

"No." The girl snapped, running a frustrated hand through her hair. "They didn't believe me."

"And that stopped you?"

Danny resisted snarling as Sam's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Vlad said, drawing out the latter word as he pushed off from the stand. "Just because they said 'no,' that stopped you from filing a report?"

She was confused, but Danny knew what Vlad was doing- trying to make her look bad in front of the jury. "Yes. They're my parents, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, because all of your friends that I've spoken to say that you were a bit of a rebel, that you didn't care what they thought." Sam visibly froze, and she muttered something (most likely a death threat) under her breath. "So, if everything they say about you is true, then why didn't you file the report anyway?"

"I was afraid," she whispered, her hand creeping towards her stomach. "I was ashamed."

"You know what else I learned from your little friends?" Vlad said, pacing towards the jury stand. He watched with obvious delight as Sam shook her head. "They told me that you had a bit of a wild streak." His smirk was nothing short of evil. "Key to your parents alcohol cabinet, dancing on a table at a party not two weeks before your supposed rape."

Danny could see the tears of hate and anger glittering in her eyes. He shot a glance at Charlie. Her hands were clasped so tightly in front of her that her knuckles were white. His eyes moved on to Vlad, and his stomach churned when he found a pair of sickly amused eyes staring back at him.

"What was your relationship with Mr. Sanders before July nineteenth?" Vlad asked, changing the subject once again, brushing invisible lint off of his designer suit.

"He was my boyfriend," Sam stated plainly. Danny could see the annoyance on her face, and he wished he could just take her home. It didn't even have to be home, as long as it was far away from Greg or Vlad. "We did normal couple stuff. Movie nights, picnics, talking on the phone until two in the morning. It wasn't very complicated."

"Hmm." Vlad paused, seemingly contemplating something. "What were your opinions on sex?"

Sam's frown deepened, if possible. "He wanted it. I wasn't ready. Simple as that."

"And what are your opinions now?"

Sam shrugged, sighing with aggravation. "Same as they were in July. I'd like to wait until marriage, and I'm not ready for it any time before I sign my life away." There was a painful tone hidden behind her annoyed reply, and Danny didn't miss it. He wasn't quite sure what it meant.

"Who is Danny Fenton?"

A thrill of fear and excitement shot up Danny's spine and he glared at Vlad angrily. How dare he bring him into this! The look on Sam's face didn't say much less. Her gaze locked with Danny's, and they both knew where this was about to go.

"Your honor," Charlie said, her hands looking as if they were about to break in her own grasp. "I fail to see the relevance."

The judge, an old, thin woman, gave Charlie a look. "Continue, Mr. Masters."

"Please answer the question, Miss Manson," Vlad smirked. Sam gaped at him like a goldfish, and the jury broke out into quiet murmurs. "Remember," He shot her a steady glance. "You're under oath."

"Danny-" Sam broke off, clearing her throat. "Danny Fenton is a friend of mine. He goes to school with me."

"And he came here with you, correct?" At her curt nod, Vlad "hmm'ed" again and continued pacing. "Are you sleeping with him?"

The gossiped murmurs were louder now.

"No." Sam hissed. She paused and grimaced. "Well, yes..."

The judge gave the girl a wary look. "Get your story straight, Miss Manson."

Sam nodded and swallowed thickly. "I am sleeping with Danny," she said slowly. "But we're not having sex. We're not even in a romantic relationship..." The edges of Danny's lips twitched downwards.

"Is that right?" Vlad murmured, gazing at Sam through measuring eyes. He glided over to the desk where Greg was sitting, shuffled through a folder of papers before pulling out a couple. Stacking the papers neatly, he walked towards the jury, gently dropping the papers in front of the first juror, a middle-aged man.

"According to 'Inside the Mind,' by Dr. J. E. Wright, rape and sexual abuse victims usually abhor being touched, especially in an affectionate way." Vlad said, hiding his hand in his pocket. "Do you find that to be true? Does it bother you when people touch you?"

Sam looked like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes wide and frightened. "Not really," she whispered, twisting her fingers in the hem of her shirt.

Vlad nodded, looking away and casually walking across the room. "So. Let me get a few facts straight." He paused in front of the jury, not making eye contact with anyone. "You have a history of breaking into your parents liqueur cabinet; you didn't file a police report because your parents told you not to, despite your rebellious nature; and now you're sleeping with a boy you've known for just three months?"

Danny saw the pained look in Sam's eyes when she replied with a barely audible, "Yes."

"Well, then," Vlad murmured, his gaze moving to rest on Danny. "No further questions." He silently walked over to his desk, sitting down and clapping a hand on Greg's shoulder. Leaning over with a victorious smile, he whispered something in his ear.

Danny looked at Sam, who still had a shocked look on her features. She'd been played into a corner when every balance should have been tipped in her favor. Her shoulders were shaking, and her eyes were glazed over as she stared at Charlie, whose fists were clenched tightly.

"Thank you, Miss Manson," The judge sighed, stacking a few sheets of paper on her desk. "If there are no further questions, then I'll release court until tomorrow morning." She looked from Vlad to Charlie, and when neither spoke up, she tapped her gavel and stood, disappearing into a door.

Danny stood up slowly, glaring at Vlad, who was talking quietly with Greg. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie stand up and run to where a bailiff was helping Sam down from the stand. He reluctantly tore his gaze from them and followed her, moving to where Charlie was trying to convince Sam that it'd turn out alright.

"Hey," he murmured, pulling her into a hug. She didn't pull away, but stiffened in his arms, still shaking uncontrollably. "Are you okay?" Danny felt her nod into his chest.

"C'mon," Charlie said softly, gathering her things off of her desk. "You two can stay at my place tonight." Picking up Sam's bag and handing it to Danny, she led the way out of the suddenly-crowded courtroom.

"I need to go to the bathroom," Sam whispered, pushing away and wandering off in the opposite direction.

Charlie started to follow. "We'll meet you outside," she said, trotting after the younger girl.

Sighing, Danny nodded, slinging Sam's backpack over his shoulder and following the small crowd of people out of the courthouse. It was a cold night, and he could see his breath as he sat on a bench facing the mermaid fountain.

He frowned as he watched people walk towards their cars, muttering quietly to each other. An elderly woman looked down, locking gazes with him before smiling sadly and continuing on. Danny clenched his fists in his lap. What was Vlad doing? Sam's life was none of his business, and yet he felt he had to come ruin it? Why was he intent on proving Greg innocent?

As if the devil had summoned him, Vlad waltzed out of the front doors, smoothing a hand over his graying hair as he smiled at the scene in front of him. "Ah, Daniel," he said warmly, sauntering over to where Danny was sitting. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The halfa repressed a snarl. "What are you doing here, Plasmius?" he hissed, sitting up straighter.

"Protecting an innocent young man from the lies of a lying snake," he replied casually, as if he were talking about the weather.

"Why?" Danny growled. "Why are you doing this to Sam? She has nothing to do with you and me."

"Me and you?" Vlad asked, touching a hand to his chest. "Tsk-tsk, Daniel. Why do you assume this has anything to do with us? How selfish."

"Stop playing around," Danny demanded, standing up. "You've never done anything for anyone but yourself your whole life. And now suddenly you're defending the man who raped my girlfr-" He broke off suddenly. "My friend?" Pausing, he glowered at his nemesis. "What do you want, Vlad? 'Cause you're sure not defending the innocent."

"How do you know?" The older man asked, tucking his hands in his pocket as he shifted his weight to his right. "There's never been any proof. All you know is what your little "Sam" told you." He sneered. "I bet she never even mentioned to you that she's been arrested for driving drunk before."

"She hasn't." Danny said. "But she doesn't have to- it's her life, her business. And you're in there laying it out for everyone to see."

Vlad laughed, throwing his head back. "And you're angry with me for_that_? For speaking the truth in a place where the truth is meant to be uncovered? Don't fool yourself, m'boy." He put his hand on Danny's shoulder. "The only reason you're upset is because your little girlfriend isn't turning out to be as innocent as you thought."

They were silent, staring each other down before Danny spoke again. "Are you here just to reveal my secret? As some sick plot to get me to join you? Tell me, Vlad; I want to know."

"Daniel." He frowned, glaring at the younger halfa. "I have every right to be here, just like you do." His face suddenly turned into one of malice and spite. "Don't be rude just because she didn't tell you everything. She lied. That's what whores do."

Danny didn't remember lunging at him, or even hitting him. He didn't remember having to be pulled off by a nearby spectator, or hearing Sam yelling at him to calm down. The rage that had been building since his encounter with Greg earlier that morning pushed him into a blind fury, and the next thing he knew, Charlie was shouting at him, shoving him in the backseat of her car.

"Get yourself together, you idiot!" she said, holding him down as he tried to escape. "You'll be lucky if they don't press charges!"

He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down, but the fury still burned hot inside of him. Sam suddenly pushed past her friend, holding him to the seat with only her gaze. "712 Ferstreet Way," she said calmly, moving aside. "That's Charlie's address. Come home when you can get yourself under control."

"Sam," he murmured, finally able to be still long enough to plead with her.

She shook her head, stepping back and pointing in the direction of the highway. "Just go, Danny. Get out of here."

He was dumbstruck, her rejection heating his face with shame. His eyes met hers, begging, but she held firm, her mouth set in a frown. Hanging his head, he got out and walked behind the courthouse, going ghost before taking to the sky.

XD

712 Ferstreet Way was a small house. Not completely tiny- there had to be at least two bedrooms, but it was minuscule compared to Sam's mansion. It was an old looking house, maybe from the nineteen-thirties, painted a faded white with a front porch. It was the kind of house you didn't see much anymore, a classic.

Danny shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the house from the street, sighing. Somebody in the front room was still up, despite the late hour, and golden light was pouring onto the front porch. He frowned, walking up to the front door and knocking lightly.

It was Charlie that came to the door, a cup of something hot in her hand. She had changed into pajamas, a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and her hair was pulled back. "You know," she said, leaning against the door-frame. "Coming out to see you trying to maul Greg's lawyer after twenty minutes of trying to get Sam to stop crying really was the cherry on top of a _fabulous_ day."

Danny sighed again, running a hand through his messy hair. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what came over me."

"Yeah, you do," she said, not moving from her spot in the doorway. "You saw him, got pissed off that he made Sam look bad in front of the jury, and jumped him."

"That's part of it..." he muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Look. I know I over-reacted and I'm sorry. Is Sam awake?"

"Nah." Charlie shook her head, walking back into the house. She motioned him in over her shoulder and disappeared into another room. "She pretty much passed out as soon as she got here. Left her alone for two seconds to get her something to eat and she was dead to the world."

"That's good," Danny said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "She needs her rest."

"Yep." Charlie reappeared in the living room, two cups now in her hands. She handed one to him. "Here. Warm up." After he took it, she flopped back onto the loveseat and bent over a mess of papers. "So," she began, taking a sip from her cup (the best chocolate Danny had ever had, it turned out to be). "You said 'that's part of it.' Is there more to why you attacked Mr. Masters?"

Danny repressed a low growl. "He called her a whore," he hissed, sitting down on the couch. "I don't remember much of anything past that."

"Well, then," She leaned back. "Screw what I said before. You have every right to murder him."

He laughed shortly, shaking his head and gulping his hot chocolate. "No. I don't. Sam wouldn't let me; she hates it when I fight for her, much less get in big trouble for her." Danny gave Charlie a measured look. "That's why this conversation goes no farther than this living room."

"Hey," she raised her cup in a 'cheers' fashion. "It's between you, me, and the coffee table."

"Good."

They quickly finished off their hot chocolate, and after a while, Charlie gathered her things and started towards a dark hallway. "I'm heading to bed," she said. "There's blankets in that closet if you need them." She disappeared, and then returned to throw a pillow at him. "G'night, Danny."

He nodded. "Night, Charlie."

She disappeared again, and he leaned back against the pillow. For a moment, he debated finding Sam's room, but then he decided against it and stretched his legs out, laying his head on his arm. He closed his eyes and was out in a minute.

oO.Oo

There was something clattering in the kitchen.

Danny sat up straight, the pillow falling to the floor with a soft 'thump.' His nightmare slithered into the night, a twisting of dark images he was already forgetting. Quietly, as to not alert the person in the kitchen of his presence, he crawled off of the couch and tip-toed in the dark, flipping on the lights.

"_God, _Danny!" Sam whispered loudly, leaning over the counter. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" A bowl was sitting by her hand, half-filled with chocolate-chip ice-cream.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I didn't know it was you."

"Well, now you do!" she hissed, slapping the lid back onto the ice-cream carton. Scowling, she shoved the carton back into the open freezer and picked up her bowl, stopping to get a spoon from a drawer before shoving past Danny.

"Sam..." he began as she maneuvered her way through the dark to her room. Frowning, he followed her, closing the door behind him. She was sitting on the unmade bed, the thick quilt a crumpled mess on the floor. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

She merely spooned ice-cream into her mouth.

"I'm sorry about earlier, too. With Vlad." Danny sighed, moving to sit on the end of her bed. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen, especially for me to freak out that way."

"You know," she began, swallowing a mouthful. "The whole case could have fallen through right there if that guy hadn't pulled you off of him! If Mr. Masters had chosen to press charges, I would've killed you myself!"

"I know," he sighed. "But you have to listen to me- I know him. He's a halfa like me."

Sam went quiet, looking out the window as he spoke.

"My parents were friends with him in high school and some experiment gone wrong turned him like me. Ever since, he's been trying to get rid of me and my dad and get with my mom." He smiled faintly when she snorted. "I was asking him what he was doing here, he said some uncalled for things, and it got out of hand."

She set the empty bowl on her bedside table. "Small world, I guess." she shrugged, leaning back against the bed's pillows.

"I strongly doubt that." he replied darkly, looking away. "I mean, he's been trying to make life miserable for me ever since he found out I exist. And now he's_here_ messing up everything for you. I just don't want him thinking that if he messes with you that I'll-"

"Hey, Danny?" Sam interrupted, leaning forwards on her knees.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." And she closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his for a fleeting moment before pulling back.

A warm shock spread through him, starting at the base of his spine. "What..." he shook his head. "I don't understand. This morning, you were treating me like a pariah."

"That was my 'thank you.'" she said, blushing. "I overheard you and Charlie talking earlier."

"Oh." He felt his face flush as well. "You're welcome. But that still doesn't explain why you were so cold towards me last night and this morning."

She frowned, looking down at her hands. "You can do better."

Huh? "Better?" Danny was stricken with confusion. "Better than what? You? Sam, I think-"

At that moment, his breath was stolen away as a whisp of blue spilled from his mouth. "Dang..." He muttered, standing up. "Sam, be careful; I think Vlad's here." Frowning, he held a shushing finger to his lips, quietly sneaking out of the room.

He padded through the house softly, silently going ghost as he phased through the ceiling to check outside. Nothing. Sighing, Danny drifted back into the warm house, landing without making a noise. If Plasmius had come for a fight, he had better get it away from Charlie and Sam. Danny sneaked back into Sam's room without a word, still looking over his shoulder.

"Is he here?" she whispered, frozen like a statue on her bed.

"I don't know," he murmured, looking out the window warily. "I don't see him, and he's not usually one to sneak around. If he wants to be there, he makes sure everyone knows it." Quickly phasing back to Danny Fenton, he sighed. "But I know my ghost sense just went off."

"What if it's not Vlad?" she asked softly, shifting carefully.

"Who else would it be?"

Sam shrugged, slipping off of the bed, despite Danny's protests. Biting her lip gently, she glided into the dark living room.

"Sam!" he hissed.

"I think I found something."

Danny stood straight, walking back to where she was waiting, a brown paper bag sitting at her feet. "A gift from Vlad, do you think?" he asked sarcastically, moving towards her and picking up the bag.

He reached in warily, expecting something to pop out and attack him, but the first thing his hand touched was something cold and delicate. Furrowing his eyebrows, he picked it up, holding it out for Sam to see. A small, silver cross hung from a delicate chain in his hands.

"That's Sarah's!" she exclaimed in a whisper, taking it gingerly. "What's it doing here?"

"Did you ever send it back to her?" Danny asked, releasing it for her.

"No. It was gone when I woke up the next morning," she murmured, her left hand sliding towards her swollen stomach. "I figured Greg took it, thinking it was mine." After a moment of inspecting it, she grabbed the paper bag. "What else is in there?"

He shrugged, letting her take it from his hands. "I don't think it's anything dangerous."

Sam reached in, the paper bag crumpling as she pulled out a large cassette-tape. "What..." her face fell with confusion, but then her eyes suddenly widened and her jaw dropped.

"What is it?" He asked her, taking a step forward.

"Charlie!" she shouted, disappearing into the dark hallway. "Charlie, wake up! This case is_ours_!"

XD

"So, Mr. Sanders," Vlad said, looking Greg straight in the eye as he asked his question. "You say that Miss Manson invited you over for movies. And then what?"

Danny couldn't help but smirk as the brunette replied. "She told me she had missed me and that she was ready to have sex." Greg shrugged, leaning back in his seat. "So we did."

"Did she ever tell you to stop?" Masters inquired, pacing towards the jury. "Did she change her mind at all?"

"Nope." He sneered. "Everything she said was a lie. When she called me the next day, she told me that she'd broken into her parents' alcohol cabinet again."

"No further questions," Vlad murmured, taking his seat as Charlie stood.

"If you answer this one question right," Charlie began, holding her hands behind her back as she walked up to the stand. "Then this case will be closed and you will go to jail. Given, it will be a shorter amount of time than if you answer it wrong." She frowned and leaned over the stand so she was looking Greg directly in the eye. "Is that the truth?"

He didn't even falter. "Yes."

Danny rolled his eyes as she sighed, pushing away and moving back towards the center of the room. "Okay, then," she mumbled to herself. "We'll have to do it the long way." She spun around so she was looking at him again. "What did you do for the fourth of July, Mr. Sanders?"

Danny could see the confusion on his face as he slouched in his seat. "What's that got do with anything?" he asked bluntly.

"Just answer the question," the judge demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

Greg shrugged. "I shot off some firecrackers at my house with some friends and then went to a party."

"Was Sam with you?" Charlie continued, smiling politely.

"No." He sighed, looking at the ceiling in thought. "I went by her house to see if she wanted to sneak out and come to the party with me, but her parents were home and almost caught us."

"Hmm." Charlie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "So she didn't come because her parents woke up to the sound of you breaking in?"

"Hey," Greg said, holding his hands palm-outwards in defense. "It was only to see if Sam wanted to come. I never did it to steal anything."

"I know, I know," Charlie said, pacing back towards hers and Sam's desk and sitting on top of it. "You're on trial for rape and abuse, not breaking and entering. But that's what happened, correct?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Her parents freaked out, thought someone was trying to rob them."

"Really? And what did they do after that?" she asked casually, fiddling with the pencil on her desk.

Danny smiled. It took Greg a minute to realize where this was leading, and he tried to cover it up well when he did. But the minute realization flashed across his face, his shoulders tensed and his expression dropped. "They got a security system." He tried to make his voice sound nonchalant, but it came out wavering anyways.

"Yes, they did," Charlie said, grinning. "They got the FDT Premium Package, which includes alarms able to be tripped from the outside, an alarm on the inside that will go off if a window or door opens during the set period, and camcorders in three rooms of the house." She tilted her head to the side as she looked at Greg. "Their room, the living room, and Sam's room."

"Then watch the tape," Greg bluffed, better in-control of his emotions. "It'll tell the truth."

"But the 'living room' tape for that night was stolen," Charlie said, standing up and walking over towards a door next to the judge's stand. She rapped loudly on it and glided back to the desk, grabbing the tape from her briefcase as a large television was wheeled in. "We stumbled upon it, though," she continued, turning on the TV and slipping the tape into the ancient VCR. "And look who got his hand caught in the cookie jar..."

The entire courtroom went silent as the tape played, showing that July night's events exactly as Sam had told them. Danny didn't need to see it- he'd watched it with Charlie after Sam fell asleep the night before- so he let his gaze move to Sam. Her eyes weren't on the screen either, but her head was held high.

The video pretty much closed the case. Once Charlie announced that she had no more questions, the jury went back, only to emerge ten minutes later with their verdict.

"Guilty."

XD

Fear not, all. This is not over yet! There's still a lot more that has to happen before I can put this in my 'complete' pile (population: one). Once again, I'm sorry for the huge time gap between the last chapter and this one! I will do my best to churn out a better chapter for you next!

Love always!

Curiosity


	12. Chapter 12

"Danny," Sam said firmly. "Take off this stupid blindfold and tell me where we're going."

Danny chuckled, putting his hands on her shoulders to lead her up the front steps of her mansion. "I'm sorry," he laughed. "I can't do that." He opened the front door, pushing it open and escorting her inside.

"Can't I get a little hint about what's going on?" she asked as Tucker, who had been sitting on the couch, gave Danny a wink and quietly flew up the stairs.

"Hmm," he sighed, putting a hand on the small of her back. "Careful- stairs. Okay, it's someplace very familiar."

"School?" she guessed, her hands held out in front of her. "Your house?"

"No guessing," he scolded. "I refuse to ruin it for you."

Sam sighed, holding onto his arm as they made their way up the steps. Danny grinned and pulled her along gently, towards the nursery. "Okay," he announced, stopping her in front of the door. "You ready?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Danny, I'm-" she broke off, reaching up and pulling off the blindfold. He watched with amusement as she blinked at the door before pushing it open.

"Surprise!" Tucker, who'd been standing in the middle of the room, shouted. Sam's face was struck with shock as she noticed that the nursery had been completely painted. All of the decorations she'd picked out and ordered had been set up, and the crib had been completely assembled. A toy box that had been pushed into the corner of the room was overflowing with toys, stuffed animals and plastic blocks spilling onto the floor.

"Oh, my God, you guys," Sam breathed, pulling away from Danny. "It looks amazing!" She shuffled into the room, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "When did you guys have time to do this?"

"I did the painting while you and Danny were in New York," Tucker said, stepping back so she could see everything.

"And I just opened up all the boxes the maids brought up here and put it all in place," Danny finished, shoving his hands in his pockets and leaning against the door frame. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"God, you guys, thanks!" Sam exclaimed, hugging Tucker and then Danny. "This is awesome."

"That's not all," the halfa said, sauntering into the room and throwing his arm around Tucker's shoulder. "Tuck got a hold of the newest version of _Dark Assault_, and I've got two vegetarian pizzas that will be here in half an hour."

"Why are you two doing this all for me?" she asked, not able to fight the smile that refused to leave her face. "It's definitely not my birthday."

"We know it's been really stressful-" Tucker began.

"What with Greg, and almost losing Caleb-"

"And we wanted you to have one stress-free night." The technology obsessed boy grinned. "So we figured that pizza and kicking our butts at video games counts as stress-free."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Danny interrupted. "Just because this night's supposed to be relaxing, that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you win so easily. I will have you know that I have never been beaten at this game, and I don't intend on starting tonight."

"Well, then," Sam said, folding her arms over her chest. "Tuck, I think I've just been challenged. What about you?"

Tucker stepped back. "Sorry, dude. You're my best friend and all, but when it comes to _Dark Assault_, I'm going to have to side with the chick."

"Excuse me?"

"Ah. My apologies." He began to rephrase. "You're my best friend and all, but when it comes to _Dark Assault_, I'm going to have to side with Sam, the beautiful, intelligent, and independent woman."

"Much better," she sniffed, putting a hand on her hip.

"Okay," Danny said, striding out of the room. "Go with the beautiful, intelligent, and independent woman. But remember, Tuck, who got your Gameboy back from Dash after he stole it in fifth grade."

"Yeah," Tucker yelled back, after Danny had disappeared downstairs. "After he pummeled you and stuffed it in your pants!"

They all eventually ended up in the Manson's home theater, the boys taking turns trying to beat Sam. So far, Danny had come close twice, but Tucker had been beaten every time. Sam hadn't stopped smiling since they'd started, and Danny couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Alright, dude," Tucker said, handing the wireless controller to his friend. "Your turn to get your butt kicked."

"Nope," Danny said, wiping his hands on his jeans before taking it. "I'm gonna win this time. I can feel it."

"Psh." Sam shook her head, starting a new game and choosing her character. "The only thing you're going to be feeling are the bruises I leave up and down your body?"

"Tuck, is it normal for expecting mothers to be so scarily competitive?" Danny asked as he picked the location of their "battle."

"Nah, man." Tucker sighed. "I think it's just Sam."

And so it began. Danny, after a few minutes, got the first kill, but Sam caught up with him almost immediately. Then, after pushing him off of the edge of the "battle arena," she took the lead. Just when he was about to make another kill, his phone began to ring.

"Tuck!" he exclaimed as he dodged one of Sam's blows. "Get my phone! In my jacket pocket!"

Tucker pulled himself out of his chair, leaning over the back of Danny's to reach get his phone out of the pocket. "Fenton's Phone," he said when he answered it. "What's up? Yes. Oh. No, it's alright, I'll get it. Okay. Goodbye."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, looking briefly at Tucker before swinging the sword her character held at Danny's. He quickly dodged, giving a girlish squeak before attacking Sam with some power-based blade.

"The pizza guy got lost. He can't find the house."

"Ugh. Newbie."

"Yeah, so I'm just gonna go run and get the pizzas real quick."

Danny paused the game, just as Sam had him in a lethal position. "I'll do it. Here- take over for me."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Tucker said, shrugging. "You're in the middle of a game, and this one's actually going pretty good for you. Don't kill the opportunity."

"Are you sure?" the halfa asked. "I can always beat Sam when you get back."

"Yeah, it's no problem. Just beat her winning streak." He winked quickly, making sure that Sam wasn't watching, and ducked out of the room.

Danny quickly pressed 'start,' and the game continued. He quickly rolled away from Sam's sword and tripped her, aiming a blow at her torso. Her health slowly dimmed until Danny had another kill, and they were tied.

"Okay, Fenton," she sighed, waiting for the clock to count down. "You want to make a bet of this?"

"Bring it on." he challenged. "Your butt is so mine."

"Okay. I win, and you're eating salads with me for a week." She raised her eyebrows, knowing his aversion of green foods.

"Not gonna happen," He thought for a minute, watching her expectant face and then looking back at the screen. "If I win," Glancing at her, he smiled faintly. "I want another kiss."

Sam swallowed and looked down at her lap. Danny worried that he'd upset her before she looked up at him, fire in her eyes. "You're on. Get ready to stuff your face, Fenton."

He grinned, and it began. Sam started out out strong, using a bunch of combinations to wipe out half of his health. Once Danny used a power-up, though, her defense started to crumble, and he got a lead, leaving her with naught but four bars of health to fight with. She quickly struck back with a magic attack, and they were dead even, fighting tooth and nail to the death.

Finally, Sam had him on the edge of the arena, and her sword flew across to push him, but he ducked down, rolling away and kicking her over the edge. He actually won.

"Yes!" Danny shouted, jumping out of his seat with enthusiasm. "I won! Heck, yes!"

"Are you kidding me?" Sam screamed, smacking her hand to her forehead. "That was cheating!"

"No it wasn't! I beat you fair-in-square and you know it!"

"I call rematch!" she protested, standing up and crossing her arms over her chest like a ten-year-old.

"No way, Sam. I won. Pay up." He smiled, but on the inside, his stomach was doing flips. He'd actually won. As soon as he'd made the bet, he finally won.

"Fine. You sore winner." She dropped the controller in the chair, stepped up to him, and leaned in to kiss him.

But Danny turned his face at the last minute, and her lips landed on his cheek.

Sam stepped back, blinking. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, and her head tilted in a way that was almost comical. "Why'd you do that? I thought you wanted me to kiss you."

"I do, Sam, but don't you get it?" He put his hands on her shoulders, making sure that she was looking him in the eye. "I don't want to have to win your kisses by beating you at a video game. I'm not Greg- I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do." He swallowed and smiled at her, amazed to see tears glittering in her lilac orbs. "I want to give you the choice."

"The choice?" she asked, her voice soft. "Why?"

"Because I care about you, Sam. I want you to be happy, and if that includes us being together, that's awesome. But if you'd rather stick it out on your own, do it. Be happy." He brushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"But, Danny..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "You deserve better."

"Bullshit."

Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped open.

"Sam, when are you going to get it through your pretty little head that there's nothing better than you? I don't care if you've convinced yourself that you don't deserve to be loved just because of what Greg did." Danny could barely believe that the words coming out of his mouth were his own. These were the things he'd only dreamed of telling her. "I love you. And that's not going to change any time soon. So do what you want to do, Sam. It's up to you."

She didn't hesitate. She grabbed two fist-fulls of his shirt and pulled him down, pressing her lips firmly to his.

XD

So ends part one. Everybody cheer! I don't know when I'll be able to start on part two, but I promise I'll be working on it. I just wanted to wrap up the month of February before moving on to bigger things. I know there are still questions about the necklace and the tape, but I assure you that those will be answered later on.

Love you all! Curiosity.


End file.
